Perspectives
by Catalyst's Cradle
Summary: Set in the Tamers universe with original characters. With conflicts between humans and Digimon growing, war looks inevitable. Read on as several Digimon must decide whether to remain loyal to their people or to their creators.
1. Rascal

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon, nor do I own _Speaker of the Dead_, from which this story's epigraph comes.

**Digimon: Perspectives**  
**Book One: Prologue**

"Was it something unavoidable, when strangers met, that the meeting had to be marked with blood?"  
-- Orson Scott Card, _Speaker for the Dead_

  
  


* * *

**Chapter 1: Rascal**

The day I bio-emerged is the day I lost my freedom. 

I looked around at my new surroundings. They were nothing like the Digital World that I was accustomed to. Everything seemed so . . . different. I was in a new world, a world beyond any Digimon's imagination, a world beyond my dreams--and nightmares.

"Wow, he's . . . he's real. Is that really you, Picaromon?" a childlike voice said in amazement. I turned to see a curious looking creature behind me. The expression on his face was bright, as if he was exuberant about something. His wide blue eyes shimmered with vivacity and his ruddy hair bounced up and down, as he hopped with anticipation.

He didn't look like any Digimon I had ever seen. Could this creature be one of the humans that were talked about in the Digital World--the creatures that presided over us like gods? For a divine creature, it was quite small.

"You know my name," I replied. "Who are you?"

"I'm Ryan," the child replied. "I'm your Tamer."

"Tamer?" I asked.

"Yeah, Tamer. You're my Digimon. We fight against the bad guys together. It's just like the game."

"So, in this world we fight too," I replied. I was a bit disappointed. Surely in the world of the gods there would be no wars--no ruthless, bloody conflicts that took away everything and everyone you held dear.

"Yup." Apparently, humans had different views on fighting than I did. He seemed excited about it, as if war were enjoyable.

"Are you a human?" I asked.

"Duh! What a stupid question!" Ryan exclaimed. "What else would I be?"

"Ryan, what do you think you're doing?" asked another high-pitched voice. A door opened at the far end of the room and another human stepped in. This one was dressed differently and looked slightly different, and it was noticeably smaller. The most striking difference was the human's long, golden hair. "Oh, what a cute Digimon doll!" The human's voice had a feminine tone.

"It's not a doll, Sara," Ryan replied. "It's real!"

"Digimon aren't real, stupid."

"They are too. Show her, Picaromon."

"Show her what?" I asked. I walked over to Sara. "Is she a Tamer, too?"

"Wow!" Sara exclaimed. "He is real!"

"And I'm his tamer, I've got the D-Power to prove it," Ryan boasted proudly, holding up a small device.

"Let me see!" Sara pleaded.

"No!" Ryan drew the D-Power away possessively. "It's mine!"

"But, Mom said we have to share," whined Sara.

"I don't care."

"Gimmie!" shouted Sara. She lunged at Ryan. The two began fighting over the small device, shouting and screaming at each other. Their struggle seemed pitiful compared to the fights that I had seen and experienced. If they were Digimon, half the room would be in ruins by now.

"Kids, what are you doing?" asked another, deeper feminine voice.

"Quick, Picaromon, hide!" said Sara. "We can't let Mom find you or she'll take you away. She always takes away all my good toys!"

"Hey, he's my Digimon," retorted Ryan. "Hide under my bed, Picaromon."

"Your what?" I asked.

"That thing over there!" replied Ryan in an exasperated, annoyed voice.

Although I resented his tone toward me, I decided not to challenge him. After all, this "Mom" could be a mega-level Digimon, or at least the human equivalent. I hid under a small metal frame with a large rectangular cushion on it, or as Ryan called it, a "bed." It was dark underneath, and I wouldn't be easily spotted.

Ryan quickly hid the D-Power, as a creature stepped into the room. My assumptions were right; it looked like a higher level human. Based on what I'd seen of Ryan and Sara fighting, I wondered if this human could do any serious damage. "Okay, kids, what's going on in here?" She sounded annoyed. 

"Nothing, Mother," replied the two children in unison. They made their voices seem innocent, as if nothing had happened. Would the larger creature really be naive enough to believe them?

"I heard something going on here, and it definitely wasn't nothing."

"Aw, Mom, can't you stop worrying about us for a minute," complained Ryan.

"I know you're causing trouble," replied the human called "Mom." She looked at Sara. "What kind of mischief have you been causing this time?"

"Nothing," Sara replied innocently. "We're just playing nicely with each other."

"You were too loud to just be playing." There was a ringing sound from outside of the room. It persisted. The "Mom" looked over its shoulder. She sighed, exasperated. "You kids play nice." Then the "Mom" quickly rushed out of the room. Seconds later the ringing noise stopped, and "Mom's" voice was heard speaking to some unknown creature.

"Is it safe?" I inquired.

"Yes," replied Ryan. "She's gone."

I came out from my hiding spot.

"You have to promise not to tell Mom about him, okay," Ryan said to Sara.

"Only if you let me play with him and be his tamer too."

"No way!"

"Fine then!" Sara turned, and began walking toward the door. "Oh, Mom!" she cried out.

"Shhh!" hushed Ryan. "Fine! Just don't tell Mom, about him and I'll let you play with him."

"Oh goody!" exclaimed Sara with delight. "I'll go play with him right now."

Before Ryan or I could protest, Sara dragged me out of the room and into another.

* ~ * ~ *

I learned a lot about human culture from Sara. It seemed there was a unique human ritual called a tea party, in which a human takes many inanimate objects and talks to them, while pretending to drink from small plastic cups. There was also an obsession about aesthetics, such as how "fabulously well dressed" one was or how well someone's hair looked. I don't think I'll ever understand humans.

About an hour later, the two humans were summoned by the "Mom," who being the higher level creature, seemed to take authority over the two creatures. Ryan surreptitiously snuck me back into the quarters in which I bio-emerged. After Ryan left, I took the moment to explore my surroundings more. Ryan had told me not to enter the hallway, lest I be seen by the feared "Mom," so I just looked around Ryan's quarters.

The structure under which I had hid, I believe Ryan called it a bed, was quite soft and bouncy. On it were sheets of fabric decorated with designs of Digimon. In another corner of his room was a desk. In the drawers were some miscellaneous items, such as sticks of wood with a soft carbonous core, and the D-Power which he had hidden. I looked through the other items in the room and quickly got bored.

I looked at the open window. I debated with myself of whether to explore this strange, new world further. _Ryan didn't forbid me from leaving the room_, I thought. My curiosity got the better of me, and I went through the window to explore the human world.

The ground below was teeming with humans of the same level as the creature called "Mom." Bigger metallic creatures zoomed around at greater speeds, and occasionally the humans went into them or exited from them. I wondered what was so important to the humans; what were they constantly rushing around for? I went around exploring the new world more.

I entered an area. A sign designated it "Central Park." There was a walkway surrounded by various types of vegetation. There were considerably fewer humans here than before. Again, I questioned the humans' motives: why would the humans rather spend their time in the bleak, grey scenery rushing around in the metallic creatures, when such beauty and peace were a few steps away? I came upon a secluded spot. It was surrounded by various green plants, ranging from large, majestic trees, to small, elegant flowers. It was nothing like the monotonous, electronically created, data-filled net which we inhabited. The scenery of this secluded spot was completely foreign, yet it felt familiar to me; nothing felt artificial or contrived. I sat enjoying the peacefulness of the spot. It was relatively quiet, not filled with the screeching, ear-piercing sounds of the land of the metallic creatures nor the chaos and conflict of the Digital World. Everything was calm and placid. The wind whispered gently in the branches of the trees. The blades of grass swayed gently in the calm breeze. It was a nice contrast to the turbulent changes in my life. _I could get used to this_, I thought. I admired the beauty around me. It had no apparent order or style, like any art I'd ever see, yet the scenery was perfectly elegant and harmonious. Whoever designed this must have been a genius.

"Where's your tamer?" asked a harsh voice behind me. I silently cursed at myself for not being alert. I was so caught up in the beauty of the surroundings that I forgot about the inherent dangers of being ambushed or attacked. "Or, are you a wild one?" the voice asked again.

I quickly turned and got into a fighting stance. I prepared to attack, but stopped.

"Sabermon?!"

Sabermon was a fellow rookie Digimon. Humanoid shaped, he stood ramrod straight in a military fashion. The silver saber in his hand glinted in the sunlight. We fought at each other's side back in the Digital World. He was one of the only other Digimon I felt I could ever trust. Although, I was glad he was here, I was very surprised.

"Picaromon," said Sabermon, sliding his saber into his scabbard. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought you were dead," I said, still in shock that my friend was here. One day, Sabermon had gone off alone. He never came back. I assumed that he had been attacked and deleted, for that was common in the Digital World.

Sabermon explained how he got here. He was pulled from the Digital World by some unknown force and ended up in the hands of a human being, his tamer. Ever since them, he and his tamer had been battling all wild Digimon that bio-emerged into this world.

"Why?" I asked him. While Sabermon and I were friends, we did have our differences. Sabermon valued honor and loyalty more than I did. He seemed to know his destiny and was unyielding in his journey to reach it. He had an unbeatable sense of purpose. I couldn't understand why he would want to fight, even after he had escaped from the bloodbath called the Digital World. Our difference in opinion set us apart a bit, but it made for interesting conversations and discussions.

"It is because," Sabermon explained, "these humans control our destiny. They were the ones who brought the Digital World into existence, and they controlled everything in it. They are the ones who created us, and we are their loyal partners."

So, it was the humans who made the Digital World to be a world of war and suffering. It was because of them that we fought, bleed, and died. I didn't know what Sabermon was thinking, but to me these were all reasons not to like humans.

"Where is your tamer?" Sabermon asked.

"I wandered away from him," I replied. "And you?"

"He sent me to scan the area for opponents."

"Why do you obey him? Don't you want to stop fighting constantly? Don't you every just want to live in peace and tranquility, without fear of battle or death?"

"Yes, but it is our sole destiny to fight and become stronger. It is what we were created for. As for why I obey my tamer, do we not have a responsibility to faithfully serve our creators?"

"Not if they make us do what we don't want to do."

"What we want is irrelevant. It is our duty to serve," Sabermon paused. "My tamer beckons. I hope we will meet again." With those words, Sabermon quickly left the area.

* ~ * ~ *

"I told you not to leave!" Ryan scolded. "But you had to go exploring, didn't you!"

"You merely forbid me to enter the hallway," I replied. "You did not forbid me from exiting through the window."

"You know what I meant!"

_ These humans are quite hypocritical_, I thought. They wheedle their way out of obeying the authority of the creature called "Mom," but they expect others to submit to their own authority. 

"I see no harm in my actions" I replied. "What make you think yours are more fitting."

"It was your own good. What if someone saw you? They'd take you away from me!"

"I took precautions to avoid detection."

"Just promise, me you'll stay here and only leave with me, so I can make sure you're safe." Inside, I laughed at that comment. How could these puny, weak humans, who have no fighting ability whatsoever, protect me?

"No," I sternly replied. "Why must I listen to you? Why do you insist I rely on you for protection when I am capable of acting on my own?"

I could tell Ryan was frustrated.

"You can't just go wandering around the city, Picaromon. If you haven't noticed, you look very different from everyone around. People will see you and think you're some kind of monster," he said.

"To me it seems you are the monsters," I replied.

"What did you say?!" Anger was rising in his voice. "Listen, I know more about this world than you do, so you . . . "

"You know nothing! Your whole species is backward!"

"Oh, so you think you're better than me? Well, listen buster, I'm the best Digimon card game player in . . . "

"You think this is all some sick, twisted game."

"Well you're just computer data. And, I'm your tamer. Everyone knows that Digimon are supposed to do everything that their tamer says.

"This isn't the same as the game you play. I am not a computer program. I am a living, feeling thing."

"Well, how am I supposed to be your tamer if you won't even listen to me?!"

"How can you be a tamer if you're such an idiot?!"

"Take that back!"

"Why should I? I bet you humans are far too weak to even harm us."

"Who're you callin' weak?!"

"You. If you think you can boss me around then think again!"

His next move caught me off guard. He ran forward and pushed me back into the wall. I slammed against the wall, and was temporarily stunned. 

"I'll show you who's weak!" he shouted.

Before I could do anything, Ryan picked up the nearest weapon--a large baseball trophy on his desk--and swung it. The hard metal trophy hit me with substantial force. I yelled out in pain. I didn't counterattack though. Even though he could attack me and hurt me by catching me off guard, he'd be no match in a real battle. It would be like killing an in-training Digimon; I wasn't the kind of Digimon to stoop to that level.

Even though I didn't fight back, Ryan continued attacking. While I was stunned from the blow, Ryan drew a large metal baseball bat from out of his closet.

"I'll make you listen to me!" shouted Ryan, still enraged. He charged forward, brandishing the bat.

"Electric dagger!" I shouted, firing a knife shaped blast of electricity at Ryan. I attacked not out of vengeance or aggression, but out of defense and fear. I had definitely underestimated the fighting abilities of these humans.

Ryan blocked the attack with the bat. The electricity flowed through the metal rod, but it did not harm him as the handle was covered with an insulating material. 

The bat cracked against my skull, sending me sprawling on the floor. I tried to get up, but the pain in my head didn't allow me to. I lay on the floor, defenseless as Ryan bludgeoned me several more times.

"Look what you've done! You dented my trophy!" Ryan yelled out in anger pointing at the trophy. His chest heaved up and down, as he stopped his onslaught. _And, you've dented my head_, I thought, commenting on Ryan's complete lack of concern for me.

"You'll listen to me and do what I say, or else . . . " he threatened. 

"Or else what?" I asked.

"Or else . . . " Ryan paused briefly. He went to the drawer of his desk and removed the D-Power. "Or else I'll use this button to delete you."

I didn't know what to think of Ryan's threat. It was very probable that he was lying, but I feared that he wasn't. Survival, above anything else, was what motivated me. Not honor like Sabermon, nor greed for power and authority like Ryan; only surviving to live another day mattered. That mind set had kept me alive in the Digital World. I didn't plan to stop surviving now.

"Fine," I acquiesced. I could see Ryan was pleased that his fear tactics seemed to work. In fact, it seemed he was almost taking pleasure in subjugating me.

"Good. Just so you learn your lesson, I order you to clean my room."

"Yes, master," I said sarcastically. Apparently, Ryan didn't catch the sarcasm in my voice, as a big smile went across his face. I went around picking up his stuff off of the floor, and putting it back in its place. Ryan would yell at me to work faster, or to tell me I was doing something wrong. All the while, I could almost see his ego growing.

* ~ * ~ *

The next days passed very slowly. Ryan ordered me to be his slave; I did all of his chores and menial tasks. Sara wasn't any less of a tyrant than Ryan either. When she figured out I could be used to do her chores, she took full use of me. When they weren't around Ryan ordered me to stay hidden in his room, and he locked all of the exits. I was a prisoner.

One night I walked up to Ryan's bed as he slept. The child looked so innocent as he slept; who knew such a cherubic face could conceal a cruel monster. I could have killed him right then and there. I could have ended my subjugation and torment. I could have destroyed the one who destroyed many more. But, I didn't. I couldn't bring myself to attack a defenseless little child, no matter how sadistic and inhuman he was. I slunk away from the sleeping child and drifted off to my nightmares.

The next day, Ryan broke the monotony of things.

"Picaromon," he said. "Come with me." It was the late afternoon, and Ryan had returned from an outing with his companions. Ryan seemed more irate than usual, and there was something burning in his eyes. I recognized it from our fight. Whoever had caused it was in for a lot of trouble.

I followed Ryan outside. On the way to our destination, Ryan was mumbling angrily.

"So, Peter thinks he's better than me, eh? . . . Well, I'll show him."

We walked over to a play structure. There was one kid, sitting down on a bench. There were no other humans around.

"Hey Peter!" yelled Ryan.

"Oh, it's you, Ryan. Come for a rematch?"

"I've come for something better. And you won't win this time." Ryan's voice was filled with the cold, hard cruelty, with which he normally commanded me with.

"What are you talking about? Does it have something to do with that Digimon doll you have?"

"He's not a doll. Attack, Picaromon!"

"Electric dagger!" I shouted, hurling a sharp blast of electricity at the ground in front of the human. As I said before, I only kill when necessary.

"Wha . . . he's . . . he's real!" exclaimed the human in fear.

"Get him!" Ryan shouted, vehemently. I fired more electric daggers at the human.

The attack had its effect though; the human ran away crying and screaming. Ryan just stood behind me jeering at Peter as he ran.

"What's the matter Peter? To chicken to have a real Digimon battle! You're nothing but a looser!"

"You should fight fair, tamer," a voice said behind us. I turned to see a tall boy walking toward us. He brushed aside his long black hair away from his face, as he spoke to us.

"Do you want to have a real Digimon battle?" He pushed up his glasses, then pulled out his dark blue D-Power. "Or do you just want to pick on more kids?"

"I'm not afraid of you!" shouted Ryan. "I can kick your butt."

"We'll see," said the tall boy. "Sabermon!"

"Sabermon?!" I shouted.

Sabermon appeared beside the tall boy, and drew his weapon. "So, Picaromon, this is your tamer?"

"Picaromon, kill him!" shouted Ryan. "And his tamer too."

"No!" I replied.

"Ah, your Digimon is smart," taunted the tall boy. "He knows better than to serve a bully like you."

"I'll make you regret those words!" shouted Ryan. Anger burned inside of him. I could see the flames of rage glowing in his eyes. "Picaromon, I order you to destroy him . . . or else." Ryan brandished his D-Power.

"Never!" I shouted. Suddenly, my sense of self-preservation left me. "He is my friend; I will not fight him."

"Your miserable taming abilities will cost you this battle," said the tall boy, "Sabermon, attack!"

Sabermon came forward with a fleche attack. I quickly dodged aside.

Sabermon stopped, pivoting and slicing with his saber at the same time. The blade sliced across my arm, drawing first blood.

I grabbed my wounded arm with my free arm.

"I don't want to hurt you!" I shouted, but Sabermon took the opportunity to attack.

His foot shot out, nailing me in the chest. I flew backward and landed on the ground.

Sabermon dove forward. I caught him against me, stopping his torso with my knee and left hand, while grabbing his arm holding his saber with my right hand.

Sabermon pushed down with all his weight, slowly moving the sharp blade toward my neck. I pushed back harder, stopping the blade from advancing.

"Why are you doing this?" I gasped. "Why are you attacking me? I thought we were friends?"

"We are," Sabermon replied. "But duty outweighs friendship."

"Digimodify!" shouted Sabermon's tamer. "Strength activate."

I felt the blade slowly creeping toward my neck. It was centimeters away.

"Digimodify!" I heard Ryan shout. "Stingmon, spiking strike!"

A spike shot out of my left hand, impaling Sabermon straight through the chest. I pushed Sabermon off, and pulled the spike out.

Sabermon staggered back, grasping the gaping wound in his chest.

_It can't be_, I thought.

I looked on in consternation as Sabermon collapsed. His chest heaved up and down, slowly. He let out one final sigh.

"No!" I shouted, as Sabermon's body disintegrated tiny bits of data.

"Yes!" Ryan shouted simultaneously. "Ha! I am the best tamer!"

_I... I... killed him?!_ I thought, realizing the horrors of my action. I was only defending myself from him. I never wanted to harm him.

I glared at Ryan. He was exuberant with joy. I looked back at the data, floating up into the air. It is because of the tamers that he is dead. The humans are the enemy, not Sabermon. They should be dead instead of him. Humans don't care what happens to us; all they care about are themselves, and their petty little games. They'll do anything for power; they'll even enslave an entire race to fulfil their wishes. It is because of their slavery and subjugation of us that we fight and kill each other over nothing!

I should have killed Ryan when I had the chance; the world would be a little better without him.

"Electric dagger!" I shouted, turning and lancing a bolt of electricity at the source of my despair, the tool of my destruction, and the symbol of the slavery of Digimon everywhere.

The D-Power exploded into pieces in Ryan's hands.

Ryan shouted in surprise and turned at me. Anger burned in his eyes again.

"What did you do that for?!" he yelled.

"I'm not taking orders from you anymore!" I shouted. "All of you humans are evil, self-centered, power-hungry slave drivers. Your tyranny over me ends now. I will no longer be your toy to play with. You will never use me again!"

I ran away, leaving the two humans to play their petty little games. I was no longer part of their game. As I ran, I made my one solemn promise to myself, Sabermon, and all the suffering Digimon everywhere: I would combat the evils of humanity, until all Digimon were free.


	2. Dreams

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. This story is written solely for the enjoyment of its readers and it is not meant for profit.   
Author's Note: Any constructive criticism on any elements of this story is greatly appreciated.

**Digimon: Perspectives   
Book One: Prologue**

  
  


**Chapter 2: Dreams**

To bio-emerge into the human world had always been my dream. The legends of old told that humans were the keys to unlocking our hidden potential. Many believed that the humans -- our divine creators -- could grant us unlimited power and allow us to digivolve further than any Digimon had ever gone before.

Of course, the current rulers of the Digital World told us that humans were despicable, heartless scum-bags. They blamed the humans for the Great Deletions that occasionally annihilated entire tribes of Digimon. They dismissed the ancient lore as a fabrication of the humans, meant to perpetuate our subservience to them. _Well,_ I thought, _I guess I'll find out for myself what these humans are like._

For, suddenly and miraculously, I found myself in the realm of my creators.

The last thing I remembered was being in the Digital World as Yarimon, my in-training form. Everything after that was just a blur. I don't even know how I digivolved to . . . 

"Nekomon?" a feminine voice asked.

I suddenly became aware of my surroundings. I was in a small room, and scattered at my feet were various pieces of thick paper with pictures and information of various Digimon on them. Directly in front of me was a very surprised looking creature. I would later learn that this was my Tamer, Valerie Star, a thirteen-year-old human female.

Val was about 1.2 meters tall and she had long blond-colored hair reaching to about her shoulders, perhaps a little longer. She wore a light blue tank-top and tan shorts. Her blue eyes stared at me in amazement.

I looked myself over. Somehow, and I still do not know how, I had digivolved to Nekomon, my rookie form. Standing at a height of about 1.5 meters tall, I had a tall, lean, feline-like body. Unlike most other Nekomon who had shiny, black fur, mine was orange, with black stripes running along the back of my arms, legs, and spine.

"Wow!" the girl stammered, still in amazement. "Digimon are real."

Equally amazed, I remarked, "The legends of humans really are true."

Val slowly approached me. Her hand slowly stroked my fur, as if she needed to touch me to assure that I was real.

"You _are_ real."

"As are you," I replied. Too many thoughts raced through my mind to describe. I had finally made it to the human world and accomplished that which all warriors strove for. Those who still believed in the ancient texts said that only the strongest of Digimon could bio-emerge into the realm of the humans; they considered it a divine reward for those who endeavored to become more powerful. Yet, I had always been considered the weakest Digimon in my tribe, singled out and derided by my peers. I was not as weak as they thought. This was my chance to show them all that I was no weakling. I was strong and I would become even stronger. With the help of this human, I could become the most powerful Nekomon ever; no, the most powerful Digimon ever! 

"This is amazing . . . unbelievable. This is like a dream come true. I created a Digimon."

"You created me?"

"Yeah," Val picked up a notebook and showed me a picture she had drawn. It was a crude replica of me. "One day, I drew this picture of you. Then, today, I found a Nekomon card in a booster pack. But, the Nekomon card was not a normal one; it looked exactly like the one I drew, with the orange, striped fur. I thought it might be a fake, but when I scanned it into my card reader, the card reader turned into this."

Val held out a small, white device, a D-Power. On it were various black buttons, and a circular screen surrounded by a light blue ring.

"Then, the Nekomon card then turned into this really weird, blue card," continued Val. "... hey, where did it go?"

"Where did what go?" I asked.

"The blue card, the card I slashed through my digivice to make you appear."

Val frantically searched through the pile of cards trying desperately to find the elusive blue card.

"That's weird. . . . Maybe it just disappeared."

Suddenly, I sensed something; my ears stood erect on my head as my whole body tensed: an opponent was near. Finally, I had a chance to prove myself in battle to my Tamer. This battle would be my first step toward my ultimate goal. I closed my eyes, trying to focus and get a better sense on my prey.

"A Digimon is nearby," I growled softly.

"What?!" exclaimed Val.

"Let's go!" My senses tingled as I made my way to the exit of the room. Like a piece of meat hung in front of a ravenous Feralmon, my prey's presence enticed me.

"Wait! We can't go now!"

"Why not?!" I shouted, turning abruptly to face my Tamer. Why was this human hesitant to join the hunt? The hunt, the catch, and the kill were all what I lived for.

"People will see you."

"Why does that matter?"

"This isn't the Digital World, Nekomon. People aren't exactly going to think a Digimon walking around is normal."

I sensed a bit of fear in her voice. Was this human a coward? Is that why she didn't want to fight? Well I wouldn't let her get in my way; battle is my way of life. Combat is the only way for a Digimon to get stronger. How could I get more powerful if I didn't fight?

"What's the matter? Are you afraid?"

"No . . . I mean, yes . . . err . . . I'm scared that people will think you're some kind of monster."

"Monster?"

"Yes, if they find you, they'll lock you up in some cage like you're some kind of menace. They'll study you like they do with aliens in the movies. They might even kill you!"

"I can defend myself," was my simple reply. I was becoming impatient with her.

"The Real World isn't like the Digital World."

"I'll take my chances." I continued toward the door of Val's room. "Whether you like it or not, I'm going."

"Okay, fine," Val acquiesced. "Just don't go out that way. My parents will see you. I don't know how I'll ever explain a five-foot-tall, talking tiger to them." Val put on a denim jacket and donned a pair of goggles, which she put around her forehead. She also grabbed a stack of cards from the floor, which she put into her pocket.

"We'll go out the window," said Val. We silently climbed down a series of stairs and ladders to reach the ground.

"Good thing it's dark out already," commented Val, "or else, I'm sure someone would spot us."

My mind was focused on the digital energy I felt. "This way," I muttered, heading out.

"Hey, wait up!" Val yelled, struggling to keep up. I was completely engrossed in tracking my prey. Buildings flew by as I ran down the narrow alleys.

After crossing an empty street, Val and I emerged in a fairly clear area, with many trees and other plants.

"Oh, I remember I used to love to come to this park and play here when I was younger," Val commented. I ignored her idle prattle and continued seeking my prey. It was close now, I could sense it's presence. I closed my eyes letting my instincts guide me. This is what I lived for: the thrill of the hunt, the exhilaration of the chase, the adrenaline of the intense battle, and, especially, the rewards reaped from victory.

"I wonder what this thing will do anyway," Val said to herself as she examined her D-Power. Didn't this foolish girl know anything about hunting? When stalking prey one must be completely silent, as to keep the element of surprise. It was much easier to pounce upon and kill an unsuspecting, terrified victim. While I glided silently through the foliage, Val noisily and clumsily stumbled through.

"Wha . . . " I turned to see her D-Power emitting a holographic display. Text and a picture had appeared on it. "Prariemon . . . " read Val.

"Sonic ear!" shouted a voice. Val and I covered our ears as a harsh, high-pitched noise filled the air.

Seeing a glint of metal out of the corner of my eye, I turned to see a blur of brown zoom toward me. I felt metal blades ripping at my flesh as the blur flashed by.

I grunted, clutching my injured side as the blur slowed down. I growled in anger at Val. That idiot's incompetence had revealed our position to my prey! Now, instead me of having the element of surprise, my prey had gained that advantage. 

I looked toward the Digimon as it came to a stop. My attacker must have been the Prariemon that Val's D-Power was displaying. The Prariemon was a short, rodent-like Digimon, with long brown fur. Its hands were covered with sharp, metal gauntlets.

"Nekomon!" shouted Val. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I grunted as I charged toward the Digimon. "Spear of light!"

An energy spear formed in my hands and I thrust out at the Digimon. My assailant deftly dodged the spear and lashed out with its metal claws.

I blocked his slash with my spear, but the attack dissipated the energy from the spear. I leapt backward into the air.

"Leaf blades!" I drew my right hand back and shot it forward. From it, scores of sharp, green projectiles rained down toward my foe.

"Dimensional hole!" the Digimon shouted. Right before the attack hit him, he disappeared from sight.

"Where did he go?" I asked, looking about frantically.

"Behind you!" shouted Val.

I felt the Prariemon's claws tear at my back. But, before I could turn and attack, the agile Prariemon had already zipped away.

"Leaf blade!" I fired another blast of razor-sharp blades at the Prariemon, but again it disappeared.

Another energy spear formed in my hands as I waited for the Prariemon to reappear.

The Prariemon appeared about ten meters away from me and charged forward. I readied my spear then swung horizontally at the Prariemon as he came forward.

The Prariemon nimbly leapt above my swing and came straight for my face bearing his razor-edged claws. All I saw was the flash of a shining streak of metal as the Prariemon's blades ripped across my face. I fell to the ground clutching my face.

The Prariemon viciously leapt on me and ferociously tore at me with his claws.

"Digimodify!" shouted Val. "Strength activate!"

I could feel strength returning to me and dulling the unbearable pain from the cuts all over my body. I flung the Prariemon off of me, and picked my spear up off of the ground.

The nimble Digimon landed on its feet and charged back. By the look in its eyes I could feel it was going in for the kill.

"Digimodify!" shouted Val. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her swiping one of her cards through the D-Power. "Hyper-speed activate!"

I gripped the energy spear tightly as I fixed my eyes on the Prariemon charging toward me. Looking death in the eye, I hurled the spear with lighting-fast speed. In the blink of an eye, the spear traveled from my hand and through the Prariemon's fragile head. The swift Prariemon didn't even have a chance to flinch before the spear hit him.

A loud, satisfying crack rang throughout the park as the Prariemon's skull splintered to pieces from the impact of the spear. The Prariemon fell to the ground and dissolved into data.

I felt relieved as the data from my fallen foe flowed into my body. The painful injuries I suffered were all worth it, for this moment of victory was what every Digimon works for and savors. There is nothing more satisfying than the sensation of victory. As I absorbed the last morsels of data, I already began to feel stronger and more powerful. This was, after all, the beginning of my quest to become the strongest Digimon ever.

"Nekomon!" shouted Val. She ran over to me. She had a strange look on her face, an expression I hadn't seen before. It looked as if she was sad or unhappy. Why would she be unhappy about me becoming stronger?

"You're hurt . . . " she said.

"I'll live," I replied brusquely.

"How can you just shrug it off like that?! That Digimon almost killed you!"

"If you fear death, you will never get anywhere," was my cryptic response. I disliked talking to this human. She seemed so distraught over such trivial matters. I could sense numerous other Digimon nearby, though none were very close. Yet, I felt an insatiable hunger grow within me. I craved the feeling of victory just once more tonight. I decided that I would fight again this night; if I were to become stronger, I'd have to work as hard as I possibly could. While I was thinking, the human kept babbling on about her nonsense.

I walked away, following my senses toward the nearest Digimon.

"Where are you going?" Val demanded.

"To fight another Digimon."

"What!? But, you can't."

"Why not?"

"Look at yourself! You're hurt. You can't possibly fight in that condition!"

"So?"

"So, don't you think you should at least rest a while?" she asked.

Why was this human so set against me fighting? Did she now want me to grow stronger? I was beginning to think of humans not as a tool to help us tap our full potential, but as an impediment to our growth and evolution.

I continued walking toward the foe I sensed.

Val muttered something under her breath and followed reluctantly.

"Why are you doing this?" asked Val.

I ignored her.

"Are you listening to me? I asked you a question. Why are you so intent on fighting?"

"When we absorb our opponents data," I replied, "we grow stronger and more powerful."

"Is that the reason? Just to grow stronger? Sounds like a pretty stupid reason to me."

The way she slighted my dream of strengthening myself angered me. It was apparent that this human understood little of how my world worked.

"Shows how much you know," I replied.

"Hey! Let me tell you something . . . " Val rattled on about more of her pacifist drivel. I ignored her, focusing my mind on my prey.

Soon we came close to the foe I was seeking.

"Nekomon, are you even listening to me!" Val said, finishing her pointless tirade.

"Shh!" I said, silencing her. I silently approached my target.

I charged forward toward my enemy.

"Stand back, Andrew!" I heard a voice shout. "Telekinesis!"

"Andrew!?" shouted Val in surprise.

I suddenly felt my body freeze, as if gripped by an invisible hand.

"Val?" I looked forward. In front of me were a Digimon and a human. The Digimon, a Scienmon, was covered in a white cloak which covered most of his body. His two hands hung out in front of him as he held me still with his telekinetic powers.

I saw Val walk forward to the human. The human was a male with messy brown hair and wore a tattered navy blue jacket.

"Val . . . what are you doing here?" asked the male.

"I was about to ask you the same question, Andrew," she responded. "I see, you're a tamer, too."

The human named Andrew nodded his head. "I never thought that Digimon would be real, living, breathing creatures." He paused, looking over toward Scienmon and me. "I guess I should let your Digimon go. Scienmon, you can let the cat Digimon go. She's a friend."

"I'm afraid not," replied the Scienmon. "This one is intent on attacking me and loading my data."

"You're damn right!" I yelled. "Now go of me so I can kick your . . . "

"Nekomon, please," Val pleaded again. "Don't attack Scienmon. He's a friend."

I sighed. "Very well," I conceded. I wouldn't get anywhere frozen solid by Scienmon's psionic grip. Scienmon gently began to release me. I considered attacking the Scienmon after he let me go, but as the thought passed through my mind, I felt the psionic grip tighten. Of course, the Scienmon were a telepathic species; any betrayal could not be hidden from his perception. As I dismissed the idea of retaliation, the Scienmon continued to release his psionic grip. When he finished, I silently cursed him, knowing that he'd be able to read the disparaging remarks from my mind.

Val then began talking frantically to Andrew. I ignored their trivial conversation and turned away. How was I supposed to grow stronger with this incompetent Tamer following me around and stopping me from battling?

"It appears our tamers are good friends."

"Humph," was my reply.

"Do you resent me for using my psionic powers on you?"

I answered him with silence. Couldn't a mind reader like him figure out that I wanted to be left alone?

"If it makes you more comfortable, I will leave your thoughts to yourself."

"I'm in no mood to speak to you," I replied sternly. "Go away."

"You could try to be a little more friendly with both you tamer and me."

"This is a waste of time. There is no need for you and me to talk."

"But, if you take the time to talk to others, then maybe you'll have someone to talk to when the need arises."

"I doubt the need will ever arise."

"There is more to life than battling, you know."

"Shows how much you know." Was I surrounded by people who wanted to stop me from fighting -- stop me from achieving my goals?

"True strength lies not only in physical power, but also in the power of friendship and trust. Listen to your tamer. From what Andrew tells me, she can teach you much about that."

Ha! Friendship. The Scienmon was sorely mistaken: friendship is useless. Friends are only your enemy in disguise, for they can betray you. Trust is only something that is all too often misplaced. The only person you can ever rely on is yourself. If you trust in others, you'll soon find yourself dead. For, trust and friendship do not make one stronger, only battle, pain, suffering, and conquest make one stronger. And, strength is all that maters. What use are friends if an Ultimate-level Digimon suddenly descends upon you and deletes you in an instant? Strength is the only measure of a Digimon's ability, for only the strong can survive. In essence, strength is what gives us life; thus, without power we are nothing. All else is irrelevant.

"I don't need any friends," I replied coldly.

"Are you so sure about that? Friends may become more important than you think. Val is more than just your tamer; she is your partner, your friend."

"Partner . . . What use is a partner?"

"The ancient lore states that humans can help us tap our hidden powers, but that can only be achieved through cooperation with humans."

"Well, then I guess I'll have to get stronger without these pathetic humans."

The Scienmon sighed "Well, if you feel that way then there's nothing I can do but urge you to just at least listen to your tamer. You owe her at least that much."

"Scienmon, we'd better go," called out Andrew. "I'll see you at school tomorrow, Val. And, don't worry. I'm sure everything will work out fine."

"Thanks, Andrew," replied Val. They both gazed at each other briefly, and something in their faces expressed something ineffable. Something about them being in each others company seemed to revitalize their spirits and to relieve themselves of their anxieties. I felt a twinge of envy at seeing the strength of the bond between them.

Bah! What use are these emotions? Emotions only cloud one's judgement; they serve only as a distraction. All they do is prevent one from doing what is necessary.

"Let's go, Val," I said, interrupting their silent gaze.

Val reluctantly turned to me. "Bye, Andrew." She waved at him as we walked back toward her home.

*~*~*

When we arrived, Val talked to me. I decided to listen to her this time, as Scienmon suggested. After all, she did help me defeat the Prariemon. I felt I owed her at least that much, no matter how weak she was.

Val told me to be sure not to be seen by any humans. For some reason she greatly feared that I would be found by a human. I surmised it must be because some humans were wild and dangerous creatures that might attack something strange or unknown to them. If they were so dangerous, then perhaps they'd make good opponents. I pondered whether human data would be as satisfying as a Digimon's.

Keeping my presence a secret, however, meant that she wanted me to hide during the daytime and to only leave my coverture when she was present. Despite my protests, she insisted that it be this way, for my protection. Thus, I was imprisoned in an unused storage shed on the roof of her building.

Why was I stuck with such a tamer!? Were destiny's wishes against mine? Did fate desire that I stay a weak rookie Digimon forever? For, if I obeyed my tamer and cowered in fear all day, I would never be able to fight and grow stronger. I would be nothing!

Well, fates, I defy you! I will take matters into my own hands and reject the Tamer you have thrust upon me. Destiny may have brought me into this world with the intention of taming me and breaking my warrior's spirit, but it has only succeeded in setting me free.

It is not _my_ destiny to be weak. It is not _my_ destiny to be second to anyone, Digimon or human. It is my destiny to be the strongest, most powerful Digimon ever! I will be so powerful that no one, not even the Sovereign can challenge me. Not even the stare of death will deter me. No one, not even the supernatural can control what I do. This is my life and I can do what I want with it. Therefore, I choose the way of the warrior, the path of the conqueror, and the journey of the champion. Fate will be the first of my many victims to perish. Yes, I will create my own destiny. 

Nothing can stop me; nothing can destroy this dream of mine. Neither Val's pacifism nor Scienmon's talk of friendship can obstruct the realization of my goals, for this dream of mine is far more important to me. I will ignore them all for only I know what is best for me. I don't need Val, and I don't need Scienmon; I don't need anybody.

I walked boldly out of my hiding-place and gazed over the vast human realm beneath me. _I am free._


	3. Pain

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. This story was written solely for the enjoyment of its audience, and the author will gain no profit from it.

**Digimon: Perspectives  
Book One: Prologue**

  
  


**Chapter 3: Pain**

"Scienmon, the wild one is a Boarmon," said Andrew, my tamer, as he looked into the holographic display of his purple D-Power. "Be careful, it has powerful flame attacks."

I carefully approached the wild Digimon. Because of my telepathic abilities I could sense every though, every feeling, and every emotion that went though the Boarmon's mind. Everything . . . until the battle ended.

_Confusion_.

The Boarmon was feeling the usual emotions that a Digimon feels when it first breaches from the Digital World into this one. This realm -- the world of the humans -- is much different. 

_Anger._

The second most common emotion was now coming into being. He had escaped from the Digital World with a purpose. He seemed to be a convert of the Sovereign, trying to colonize this dimension and spread the "righteous" rule of Digimon across the land. Many were blindly loyal and unyielding in their holy quest.

"You humans must die!" it shouted.

Sensing his next attack, I gathered my mental energy and formed it into a kinetic form.

"Psionic blast!"

A split second later, the Boarmon shot fire out of its nose, using its nose blaster attack. However, the psionic blast tore through the flames and flew into its nose, singing and burning everything with its energy.

_Pain._

A wave of pain came though both the Boarmon and me. That was a disadvantage of mind-links; every single emotion and feeling that the victim felt, I felt as well, whether it be happiness or sadness, blithe ease or excruciating pain.

I put aside the pain, for now. "Telekinesis," I said, wrapping tendrils of psionic influence around the Boarmon. The Boarmon flew from side to side, smashing into the ground, light poles, and any other solid object in the near vicinity.

_Helplessness._

I took no pleasure in dispatching my foe. It was as painful as losing to be winning. I began to have trouble discerning my own thought and feelings from the Boarmon's. I knew it was time to finish him off, before his emotions consumed me.

The Boarmon slammed into the ground, and laid there, too weak to even fight back.

"Digimodify!" yelled Andrew, swiping a card through his D-Power. "Power activate!"

"Psionic blast!" I fired a final charged blast of energy at the Boarmon.

A wave of pain, despair, anguish, and failure washed over me as the Boarmon was torn apart into its elementary particles -- data. I could feel every single bit of data being torn from his being, each inflicting a torturous wound. Then abruptly, all the sensations stopped . . . Once again, I had experienced death.

As the last bit of my opponent's data scattered into nothingness, I collapsed from the physical and mental exhaustion of dying vicariously.

*~*~*

As I awoke, my tamer, Andrew was beside me. I was laying in his room. As always, he had carried me from the site of the battle back to his own house. Even though it was very late, Andrew would always insist on staying up until I regained consciousness.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied.

With a yawn from his extreme exhaustion, Andrew climbed up into his bed and quickly fell asleep. It was like this every time we went and battled.

All the physical pain I had felt had dissipated; no trace of any injury or wound remained. Only the memory of the experience still rankled in my mind along with the rest of them.

I made my way out the window and disappeared into the night, lest I be discovered in the morning.

*~*~*

From the shadows, I watched Andrew go about his daily routine. It was always the same, every time we went out to destroy Digimon. He would wake up, still with a look of drowsiness on his face. He would leave for school, only provided with a meager breakfast. At school his teachers would complain to him about something (usually for being late to class), or rebuke him for some trivial fault or oversight. Andrew took it all silently, without complaint or recrimination. He was the only one who could know the importance of what he was doing, and he knew that the sacrifice was worth it. However, what struck me about Andrew was, he never fought back. Even when other kids would bully him for no reason, he took it in silence. Never once would he give them acknowledgment that their bullying was doing any harm to him. After school, Andrew went to a card shop and spent what little money he had saved up on Digimodify cards, so that we would be more able to combat the Sovereign's forces. Today, however, he didn't have enough money to buy any cards.

I would like very much to get inside Andrew's head and feel his thoughts. For some peculiar reason, my telepathic abilities could only penetrate a Digimon's mind. The workings of the human mind had to be revealed to me though other methods. Still, even without my telepathy, I could empathize with him.

I held much respect for Andrew. While I sacrificed much every time I battled Digimon for him and his people, so did Andrew. While I took the pain of the Digimon I killed, he took the grievances that others thrust upon him. We both suffered for each other and our cause. We both knew that to protect the human world from the Sovereign, we needed to destroy every wild one trying to overthrow humanity.

Such was the life of Andrew, the boy who protected the world for those who seemed to hate him.

*~*~*

Between battles with those who followed the Sovereign, I had little to do. Sometimes I tried to help Andrew by doing some of his homework for him, but that only caused him more trouble at school because they though he was plagiarizing. 

Sometimes I talked to Andrew and his friend and fellow tamer, Valerie, about different topics. Usually Andrew and Valerie talked most of the time, as I just listened into their conversation. From their chatting, I came to learn more about human culture. Of course, today Andrew was a bit too busy to converse with Valerie.

Humans had always interested me ever since I bio-emerged. Since I could get inside of Digimon minds though telepathy, I had already comprehended much about Digimon nature. I reasoned that if I were to fully understand humans, I must be able to pry into their minds and not just make passive observations. Thus, I began my study of human nature by studying human literature. Some humans had some very strange ideas about themselves, one stated that the answer to the great question of life, the universe, and everything was forty-two. Others expressed ideas that made them seem very much like Digimon. Sometimes it seemed humans and Digimon weren't very different at all.

Tonight, however, I decided to wander around the park. The park was one of the few places in this city where I could escape the hecticness of the human world. There had been a bio-emergence nearby, but I could sense that a tamer had already spotted it. Valerie and her Digimon, Nekomon, had already engaged the foe. Nekomon was no different than most Digimon I had met. She came from a tribe of Digimon obsessed with the accruement of power and the development of their own strength. Battle was their sole purpose of existence, and they considered everything else to be extraneous. If felt sorry for her: for the limits of her simple, one-dimensional view of life. Sometimes I could sense a bit of goodness in her mind, a hint of uncertainty or an inkling of rebellion, but the culture of battle was too far ingrained into her mind to be rejected. It was not her fault that the culture which produced her had shaped her life into a meaningless existence full of suffering for a transitory feeling of triumph.

At this proximity to the battle, I felt almost as if I were there participating in the battle. I could feel every brutal hit, every lash of a tail, every ragged blade piercing a Digimon's skin. It is a mystery to me why Nekomon would chose to live such a life of pain and battle. Finally, one flicker of life was extinguished in a bright flare of pain.

It was all normal, except for the fact that there was another Digimon presence watching the battle. It promptly left the battle after it ended, and I decided to pry into the identity of this interloper.

I came across a strange Digimon. He was rat-like in appearance, and was sitting in a secluded area of the city park. His mouse-like ears were tied back by a red bandana. This was the presence who watched the battle.

"What do you want?" he asked, without turning to face me. Apparently he had heard, or more likely smelled (as rodents have a good sense of smell), me approaching. "Are you a servant of the humans, or one who is free from their tyranny?" He faced me and his cold, rodent-like eyes met mine in a piercing stare.

I was intrigued by his opinion of humans. He must be a servant of the sovereign, but his mind gave no indication of that. In fact, he was a tamed one, perhaps the tamed one who bio-emerged days before. I probed deeper into his mind. 

"I am free," I replied. "I've never considered myself a servant nor a slave, nor do I consider my tamer to be a tyrant; I serve only my friend."

"Tamers . . . " the Digimon replied with substantial bitterness. "No one can be free when he serves a slaver." Strange, his mind and all of his thoughts dwelt on the evils of humanity. He had many of the same thoughts as the slaves of the sovereign, yet he had devised of them himself. I was always under the impression that the sovereign manipulated his subjects' minds by inculcating his lies of human evilness into his servants' minds. Could it be that these views of humans were their own ideas as well? Were they acting on their own volition, and not in blind loyalty to their master?

When one can sense the emotions of other, think their thoughts, and perceive their sentiments, it is hard not to understand their condition and empathize with them. The only way I can bring myself to destroy them is to believe that they were acting in blind faith to a malicious cause -- following the specious arguments of a deceiver. It seemed I was the one doing the deceiving. It is very easy to believe something if you want the lie to become the truth.

Despite my misconception of the Sovereign's forces, however, my impression of humans was not a lie.

"Tamers aren't slavers. I am acting by my own will, and I serve my tamer because he has earned my respect." I replied.

"_Respect_?!" spat out the Digimon. "How can you respect someone who does not respect others' lives?" This Digimon, Picaromon, had a tormented mind. I could see his past and current situations and understand them. All he had seen of humanity was its cruel side. His tamer was one that would make all humans ashamed. Yet, the thought crossed my mind, how was his tamer different from other humans?

"You are not acting on your own free will, even if you think you are," he continued. "No one can truly be free under the hand of a being who thinks he is superior. Your tamer is deceiving you to gain your blind trust and loyalty. Don't you hate fighting for nothing? Why would anyone fight for someone who stands back and does nothing, while you are suffering? Don't we deserve better than to just be _used_ as the humans' tools?"

I thought for a second about what he said. It would be nice to stop fighting -- to escape the writhing pain and torturous emotions -- but the consequences would be dreadful. Everything in this world would be destroyed. This whole planet -- full of living, sentient creatures -- would become embroiled in a vicious conflict with a world equally full of other sentient creatures. The war between the two races would be a cruel and costly one; preventing it by killing the forces of the Sovereign before they could pose any real threat would save many lives, on both sides of the line.

"I believe in what we are fighting for. My tamer and I both are fighting to save this world and the human race from those who want to destroy it."

"Are the humans worth saving? If saving the humans means destroying all Digimon, then is that a _worthy_ cause? Wouldn't our lives be better if the humans didn't exist? Wouldn't the lives of all Digimon be better if the humans were gone?"

I thought about his speech for a moment. _Are the humans worth saving?_ His question echoed in my mind. Visions of Digimon being free from battling and the endless cycle of struggle and death filled my mind. Sure it would come after a bloody war, but in the end, the Digimon race would be better off. No one would have to experience the pain and agony of battling and dying; no one would be abused by tamers like Ryan.

But, against the cruel vision of Ryan came a vision of my own tamer. If only Picaromon could meet Andrew. Maybe then, his opinion of humans would be less severe. But, the mere existence of Andrew does not invalidate Picaromon's perspective. The fact is that there are wicked, heartless Ryans, inhabiting the world, along with the kind, just Andrews. How can the differences between the two be reconciled? Are Ryan's actions enough to justify the destruction of the human race? Or, are Andrew's actions enough to justify saving the humans? Which tamer was the exception to human nature?

Looking through my own and Picaromon's experiences, I saw Andrew to be the exception. Humans really did try to assert their dominance over everything around them and climb to the top. Humans like Ryan treated Digimon like inferior slaves and simple tools at their disposal. Other humans, like those who bullied Andrew at school, were no different. They ruled by fear, and they bullied Andrew just to assert their power and authority.

But, are Digimon any different? The Sovereign takes the stance that humans are inferior beings and that we have the right to purge the world of their evil. Many Digimon also try to assert their ascendancy over others just as humans like Ryan do. Digimon like Nekomon live only to kill others and load their data. Indeed, we are no better than the humans.

So, the question arose again: who is more worth saving? Humans command Digimon to fight each other, but Digimon also fight each other on their own free will. So, both races are just as responsible for the suffering of our people. Maybe both races aren't worth saving. I looked around. The plants, trees, flowers, and bushes were all alive and living. While they didn't seem as antagonistic and evil as humans or Digimon, they were. Their life is a struggle for resources and to pass on their genes. In fact, every life-form is preprogramed with the urge to survive and pass their superior genes down, while, at the same time, eliminating those less-fit to survive. That is how evolution and natural selection works; that is how a species changes and improves. So, having Digimon fight or humans tyrannize, despite the pain and suffering, will improve the species as a whole.

But, humans and Digimon are different from plants and other creatures. We are sentient, intelligent beings. We should be able to surpass our primitive instincts for survival. So what if we are programed to fight or subjugate? We are able to make the decision of whether or not to follow our instincts. We are more than a computer program that does whatever its source code tells it to do.

So, it didn't come down to whether humanity was evil or not; it came down to individuals. Humans and Digimon may have proclivities to be good or evil, but the individual will decide whether or not to act on those propensities.

"The humans deserve to live just as much as we do. They are no different than us. You can't condemn the whole human race just by the acts of a few," I replied.

"I've seen enough of humans to see the truth in all of them. They're nothing but cruel tyrants! Their 'kindness' is only a false pretense to cover up their true motives."

I thought about Andrew and all that he had done. I had seen enough of his sincere actions and motives to know that they were not a pretense. He truly was fighting for what he believed in, and he truly cared about my well being. He made many sacrifices for me and his quest, but he never complained about them because he knew the goodness and necessity of his acts.

"My partner is different than yours. He has earned my respect, trust, and loyalty. I would never leave him for anything."

"Please," he pleaded fervently. "Don't just blindly follow your tamer. Think your situation over and make your own decisions. Don't let your tamer decide what is or isn't good, it is up to you to make your own moral decisions. Join me, and we can try to save the Digimon race. Together we can liberate all Digimon from the cruel and evil humans who make us fight and kill our kin. Join me and you can follow your own path, not some path that you're blindly being lead down."

I could tell, by his tone of voice and by his emotion inside of his mind that he truly believed in his own cause with all of his soul. I could understand his situation and his reasoning, and empathize with his feelings on the subject. Yet, I couldn't come to agree with them, even though I couldn't find anything wrong with his reasoning. His perspective and my perspective on humanity were both equally true in my mind.

If both of our opinions were equally true, who was right? Both of us were fighting for a noble, just cause that we believed in with all of our heart and soul. The only difference was our perspective on the situation. While he believed that humans cannot surmount their primitive urges to dominate over everyone, I believed that humans do have the ability to transcend their nature and coexist peacefully with Digimon. While he saw the majority with a pessimistic eye, I saw the minority with an optimistic eye. In my heart, I felt I was right, but I couldn't come to condemn his views. How could I? I couldn't blame him for how his past experiences shaped his perspective. I couldn't blame him for having the misfortune of bio-emerging into the hands of a despotic tamer. If I were in the same situation, then I probably would have become just like him.

Another thought popped into my mind. Most Digimon do not like the humans. Most Digimon have joined forces with the Sovereign to destroy the humans. Many tamed Digimon hold mixed feelings toward their tamers, and still more served them only out of fear, duty, blind loyalty, or for survival. My viewpoint was up against countless others. How could I be right, and so many others be wrong?

Despite all of this logic and reasoning, in my heart, I could not accept Picaromon's viewpoint. Have I transcended Digimon nature to come and accept humans? Was I like Andrew, who has transcended his human nature as well?

Picaromon saw that I was thinking deeply about my quandary. "I'll let you think it over," he said. "When you make the right decision, I'll be waiting for you to join me in my quest to save the Digimon race." With those words, Picaromon scurried away.

He left me with mixed feelings about the situation. I could see both sides of the problem, but no answers. I hated humanity for the actions of individuals like Ryan, but I couldn't completely hate it because of individuals like Andrew. It was true that humans were always a problem to Digimon. The data streams in the Digital World, which ravaged the landscape, were created when humans accessed data on their computers. The majority of humans considered us to simply be data on a computer, tools, or fighting machines. Perhaps, just as Andrew and I were destroying all of the evil Digimon, a solution would come with the destruction of the evil humans as well.

What defines evil, though? Andrew would most certainly consider Picaromon as an evil Digimon, because he can't see how his past experiences forced him to become what he is. What if humans were the same way? Maybe Ryan became such a power hungry tamer, because of his experiences and his upbringing. If he was a product of his environment, could we condemn him to death for his past, which he could not control? Who am I to judge him?

"Scienmon, are you okay?" asked a familiar voice from behind me. It was Andrew. He shivered in the cold, with only an old, ragged jacket, to protect him from the chilling wind. Yet, he didn't seem to care as much about the cold as my well being. "Val said there was a bio-emergence nearby, but she took care of it. Another wild-one is bio-emerging nearby. Val said Nekomon was too weak from the other battle to investigate. I came to see if you were all right, and that the wild-one hadn't gotten to you yet."

"I'm fine," I replied. Andrew looked relieved. "Why have there been so many bio-emergences recently?"

"I think the Sovereign might be planning something," replied Andrew. "Hopefully, we'll be able to defeat the wild-ones from carrying out whatever he has planned."

"Do we really need to fight these Digimon?" I asked. Picaromon's seeds of doubt were growing in my mind.

Suddenly, Andrew's expression changed. It was if he had realized something horrible. "You once told me that every time you kill another Digimon, you feel like you've murdered a part of yourself," Andrew replied, quietly.

"Yes, because of my empathic abilities."

Andrew shook his head in disgrace and disgust at himself. "I don't see how I didn't realize it sooner. You fight every day against your own race, killing your own brothers and feeling their pain. But, you aren't fighting for your own cause. You're fighting for my cause, a cause that I thought so important that you would believe in it too. But, you're different than me. Maybe to your people, I'm the sovereign that they hate. Maybe I'm deserving of it too; I've ordered you to kill so many of your kind. I'm so sorry, Scienmon . . . " Andrew looked at me through his watery eyes, full of understanding. "I never meant to hurt you like this. You don't have to go on murdering your friends. You are free."

Andrew's reaction surprised me. He had said that one of his biggest wishes was to be a Digimon Tamer. And, he was completely dedicated to his cause of defeating the Sovereign and saving the human race. Yet, now he was giving them both up, by letting me go. Such an act of selflessness . . . 

"A Digimon and his tamer," a voice sneered, full of contempt. "Pathetic traitor."

Andrew and I turned to see a Digimon towering behind us. It was a Centarumon -- a half-human, half-horse behemoth. His torso was covered in armored plates and two huge gauntlets covered his hands. A large helm hid his entire head, leaving only two glowing eyes looking out from the dark opening in the helm. The Centarumon prepared to attack.

"Scienmon, go!" shouted Andrew, gesturing for me to escape. "Leave!"

"No," I replied. "I'll stay with you until the end."

"You have no honor, do you?" jeered the Centarumon. "You stay loyal to these murderers. There's no worry though. The invasion will begin soon; justice will be served. You will have the fortune of becoming the first recipient of our retribution."

His words evoked another thought in my mind: is peace between humans and Digimon possible? There will always be humans like Ryan who will try to enslave Digimon and there will always be Digimon like the Sovereign who will try to destroy humanity. I don't think peace would be possible with factions on both sides craving power and control over the other. So, if war is inevitable, then is peace still worth fighting for? It was then that the irony of my words hit me. Fight for peace? We weren't fighting for peace; we were contributing to the growing casualties of this new war.


	4. Savior

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. No profit is being made from this story; it is purely for the enjoyment of its readers.

**Digimon: Perspectives  
Book One: Prologue **

**Chapter 4: Savior**

  
  


It was the dead of night. Darkness cast its powerful, yet hidden, presence on everything. Street lamps attempted to pierce through the depths of the obscurity, providing dim refuge from the powerful night. Shadowy figures moved about like fish in murky water. Occasionally, one swam through one of the isolated island of white, but more often than not, they were occluded by the vast sea of black. Humans seemed to have an unnatural fear of the dark. As they glided through the omnipresent darkness, they were more cautious and fearful; they tended to think of the dark very negatively.

I once ventured away from the artificial land of the humans. Out in the open, away from the humans' city, I could see the night sky clearly. The street lights no longer cast their nebulous gleam upwards, hiding the beauty of the sky from view. In the pitch darkness of the outsides, I could see everything: the millions of points of light scintillating against the supernatural blackness of space. Only in perfect darkness could this shimmering mosaic of brilliance be seen. So, darkness isn't always bad.

Humans, on the other hand, are a different story. My nighttime excursions were often disturbed by occasional bloodshed. Like the street lights, the red stains of human savagery hid the beauty of peace from my sight. Humans, the cruel masters of this world, commanded us -- their slaves -- to do their dirty work for them. They sent our race into deadly battle against our brethren. Only with the assistance of our race, the Digimon, could the humans even stand a chance at survival. Yet, they treated us as inferior: as tools at their disposal. To them, this was nothing more than a fantastic game; to them, our lives were no more important than that of a plastic figurine tossed into a corner of their room to be neglected. To them, a Picaromon like me was only a pesky little rodent to be stepped on.

I moved away from the bleak streets of the city to the less populous park area of the town. Even in this natural setting of peace and tranquility, there was no escape from these humans. In the dimness of the omnipresent darkness of night two figures leapt at each other in pitched battle. Away from danger, a lone human figure looked on, asserting her dominance over her Digimon.

"Get him, Nekomon!" commanded the human.

The light from the street lamps shimmered off of Nekomon's soft orange fur as she made her way out onto the battlefield. The reflection made her look like a bright orange flame, burning with passion and life. Normally, Nekomon like her moved with such grace and elegance, but this one limped slightly as she moved forward. I examined her powerful, legs and saw a painful looking puncture wound in one of them. _Sending an injured Digimon into battle_, I thought. _These humans have no mercy._

The Nekomon's lithe, feline-like body leapt clumsily into the air. "Leaf blade!" shouted the tamed Digimon. Green, razor-sharp blades formed in her hands, and she hurled the sharp projectiles down toward her foe. As Nekomon landed, she winced as she came down on her right leg. I stared at the cold, intense expression that ruined the soft beauty of her face. _This is not how Digimon should live,_ I thought. _What right do humans have to force us into fighting their battles for them?_

Nekomon's opponent, a Bullmon, came charging through the rain of poniards, crying "Matador dash!" in an enraged voice. The massively armored Bullmon, seemingly unaffected by the attack, plowed straight through the leaf blades and right into Nekomon. With a cry of pain, Nekomon hit the ground.

"Tail whip!" Bullmon turned and lashed out with its tail at the fallen Digimon.

Nekomon rolled out of the way, and grabbed Bullmon's tail. With all her strength she swung the tail around, hurling the Digimon into a nearby tree.

"Matador dash!" the ferocious Bullmon quickly recovered and charged back toward his assailant. Nekomon quickly jumped aside nearly avoiding being clobbered by the destructive power of Bullmon's charge. As Bullmon passed it lashed out with its tail once again, wrapping around Nekomon's leg and dragging her with him.

Bullmon hauled Nekomon across the rough asphalt, then turned sharply and skidded to halt, releasing Nekomon from its grasp. Nekomon slid across the scabrous ground and was stopped, rather painfully, by a chain-link fence. The human looked on, safe from the pain and suffering her Digimon was feeling.

"Matador dash!" Bullmon charged forward at Nekomon. Nekomon was only able to get to her feet before Bullmon crashed into her. The fence collapsed under the force of the collision and the two unlucky Digimon became entangled in the fence.

Nekomon, with a strained effort, violently ripped through the chain-links with her bare claws and hobbled out. Luckily, Bullmon was still trapped.

"Spear of light!" shouted Nekomon. She brought her right hand up and a gleaming spear formed in it. Then she hurled the javelin at Bullmon. The energy spear impaled Bullmon, breaking through his thick armor. The attack deleted him.

Nekomon stood battered with injuries all over her body from the brutal fight as the data from her defeated opponent flowed into her. Her dirtied fur no longer reflected the glistening light from the lamps; the orange flame of passion and life had been extinguished. 

Exhausted and sorely hurt, Nekomon collapsed to her hands and knees.

I had seen enough of this cruelty and brutality. I went away. Why should Digimon fight each other like that? Nekomon almost killed herself because of the whim of her tamer. Tamed Digimon pledged their blind loyalty to their human masters, and were only rewarded with pain, suffering, and death. Humans were the root of all of our problems. They were the ones who created the Digital World and who programmed us to be so antagonistic. Our pain-filled world came as a result of their fascination with the agonies of war.

I sat thinking of our problems -- the problems faced by all Digimon. I wished so much for our race to be free from the cruel tyranny of the humans. From my time in this world, I had seen the humans for what they are. They constantly try to conquer the world around them. They must assert their dominance over everything around them and climb to the top. They have an insatiable thirst for power in whatever form it comes in. The adult humans satisfy their hunger in their pursuit of money, and those who have money seek social and political power -- fame. The human children, unable to compete with the adults for money and fame, seek dominance over others in school, competitions, or other activities. Sometimes they even want to have ascendancy over the weaker children, or others that they are able to seduce into their authority.

I heard someone, or something, approaching. By its smell I could tell it was not a human, but a Digimon.

"What do you want?" I asked without turning to face my visitor. "Are you a servant of the humans, or one free from their tyranny?" I turned to face the approaching Digimon as I asked that question. The Digimon had a humanoid form, and was dressed in a simple robe, concealing all of its features. He was a Scienmon, a race of Digimon respected and feared for their abilities to deceive.

"I am free," he replied in a calm, cool voice, trying to sound proud of his captivity. "I've never considered myself a servant nor a slave, nor do I consider my tamer a tyrant; I serve only my friend."

I scorned his blind faith in his human tamer. Humans frequently deceived others with their insincere acts and false pretenses. How ironic that a Scienmon, a master of deception, was now the victim of a human artifice. Though it would not be below their species to serve such a low, base cause, even the most abject of Digimon didn't deserve the humans' barbarity. "Tamers . . . " I replied bitterly. "No one can be free when he serves a slaver."

"Tamers aren't slavers. I am acting by my own will, and I serve my tamer because he has earned my respect."

"_Respect?!_" I shouted with vehemence. Scenes of Ryan's cruelty, and Nekomon's suffering came to my mind. "How can you respect someone who does not respect others' lives?" Scienmon did not reply. "You are not acting on your own free will, even if you think you are," I continued, "No one can truly be free under the hand of a being who thinks he is superior. Your tamer is deceiving you to gain your blind trust and loyalty." My mind came back to Sabermon, the poor misguided soul. He pledged his loyalty and honor to his tamer, and he would do anything for his tamer. Sabermon ended up dying in battle against his best friend. Such was the reward of a slave.

"Don't you hate fighting for nothing?" I asked. "Why would anyone fight for someone who stands back and does nothing, while you are suffering? Don't we deserve better than to just be _used_ as the humans' tools?"

"I believe in what we are fighting for. My tamer and I both are fighting to save this world and the human race from those who want to destroy it."

"Are the humans really worth saving? If saving the humans means destroying all Digimon, then is that a _worthy_ cause? Wouldn't our lives be better if the humans didn't exist? Wouldn't the lives of all Digimon be better if the humans were gone?" 

"The humans deserve to live just as much as we do. They are no different than us. You can't condemn the whole human race just by the acts of a few."

"I've seen enough of humans to see the truth in all of them. They're nothing but cruel tyrants! Their 'kindness' is only a false pretense to cover up their true motives."

"My partner is different than yours. He has earned my respect, trust, and loyalty. He is no tyrant, and I would never leave him for anything."

I thought of Sabermon again. This Scienmon was so much like him. They both felt they had a debt of honor to their tamers, and they both were blindly loyal toward them. The image of Sabermon's death flashed through my eyes. Even though I knew Ryan and Sabermon's tamer were responsible for Sabermon's death, I still couldn't rid myself of the guilt. I thought to myself, if I could save this Digimon from his servitude, then maybe I could atone for Sabermon's death. If I could save all Digimon like Sabermon, who pledged their lives for this unworthy cause, then Sabermon's death would be avenged.

"Please," I pleaded. "Don't just blindly follow your tamer. Think your situation over and make your own decisions. Don't let your tamer decide what is or isn't good, it is up to you to make your own moral decisions." An idea flashed through my head. What if I did succeed in convincing him? Then two would be fighting to free the Digimon. Then, we'd convince others and there would be four, then eight, then sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four . . . and then them all. "Join me, and we can try to save the Digimon race. Together we can liberate all Digimon from the cruel and evil humans who make us fight and kill our kin. Join me so you can follow your own path, not some path that you're blindly being lead down."

I could see my speech had made some impact on the Digimon. He stood thinking about my words, no doubt questioning his allegiance to his tamer. "I'll let you think it over," I said. "When you make the right decision, I'll be waiting for you to join me on my quest to save the Digimon race." With those words, I left Scienmon to his own thoughts.

*~*~*

The remainder of the night was uneventful. I wandered around developing my plan to free the Digimon in this world. The power of a single idea dawned on me. All it took was one person to begin a revolution, for it would soon spread, growing exponentially. That amazed me -- change only required one person to start it. Could I be the one to start the liberation of the Digimon race?

My musings were soon interrupted by another battle. I made my way over to the scene of the battle. Perhaps now, I wouldn't just stand by and watch, but I would try to free this Digimon from its tamer.

To my surprise I found Scienmon and a human -- presumably his Tamer -- facing off against a Centarumon.

"Pathetic Digimon!" shouted the Centarumon as it grasped the Scienmon. Scienmon hung limply in Centarumon's fierce grip. "Why do you protect this human?!" The powerful champion-level Digimon viciously threw the Rookie-level Scienmon to the ground. "These humans murdered my clan! They kill our kind without remorse. Now it is our time for revenge. We will show no mercy when enacting our vengeance!"

"Stop!" I shouted. "Wait!"

The Centarumon paused in its attack. He sniffed the air.

"So, another Tamed one has come to be punished. Where is your tamer, you rat?!"

"I killed him," I lied, hoping that the weight of my statement would convince him I was on his side. Beside, I really did wish I had killed Ryan. Maybe then Sabermon wouldn't be dead.

The Centarumon laughed. "Well, well, well, aren't you a tough little Digimon," the Centarumon taunted. "If you're so tough, then kill this pathetic, human's pet." Grabbed the limp Scienmon off the ground and tossed him to me.

"No," I replied sternly.

"No!" The Centarumon roared. "Why do you protect this traitor?!"

"Because, this Digimon's life is still important," I replied. "We can save him -- liberate him -- from the humans."

"Never . . . " replied Scienmon weakly. "I... will . . . ne . . . ver . . . leave . . . my . . . friend."

"See!" shouted the Centarumon. "Once a traitor, always a traitor. There is no hope for this one. You hear that! There is no escape from what you have done! You will die here and now scum!"

"No, with time we can undo the brainwashing," I pleaded. "We can save him, bring him back to our side."

"Kill him! Kill him now or I will kill both of you!"

Maybe Centarumon was right. Maybe Scienmon was condemned to be a servant to the humans. So deep was the deception that it was ineffaceable. An electric dagger formed in my hand. _This is for the best_, I convinced myself. I reminded myself of Ryan; if I had killed him before, then Sabermon would still be alive. By killing Scienmon, I would save countless more innocent Digimon from an unjust fate.

"No!" came a shrill cry from behind me. I had forgotten about the human! While I was arguing with Centarumon, he must have grabbed a weapon to attack me with.

I turned to see the human running headlong at me, brandishing a long, thick tree branch. An image flashed through my mind of Ryan charging at me with the baseball bat. The image filled me with fear and hate. It made me remember Sabermon . . . 

_ I... I... killed him?! I glared at Ryan. It is because of _him_ that Sabermon is dead. I should have killed him when I had the chance; the world would be a little better without him. "Electric dagger!" I shouted, lancing a bolt of electricity at the source of my despair, the tool of my destruction, and the symbol of the slavery of Digimon everywhere._

The human crumpled to the ground. Out of his chest, a bright yellow light faded into a crimson flow of viscous liquid.

I stood paralyzed for a moment. My eyes slowly looked forward at my hand, which was extended out and had no dagger in it anymore. I had thrown the dagger at the human!

The human moaned in pain, clutching his wound. Scienmon, too weak to do anything else, merely collapsed to the ground and sobbing despondently.

Centarumon let out a boisterous guffaw. "Nice job, kid," he congratulated me. "What genius, letting this pet see his precious tamer die." He gave me a hearty slap on the back. "Kriegmon's Army could use a Digimon like you."

I was frozen; I did not know what to do. All I could do was stare at the dying human. _I...I...killed him! _I should have felt happy. I should have been filled with a sense of pleasure when I looked upon his bloodstained corpse. But, I didn't. Strangely, I felt the same as when I killed Sabermon; I was afraid.


	5. Nightmares

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.

Author's Note: Thanks for your reviews. As always, I welcome any constructive criticism. In this chapter, I'd like to know how effective the ending is. I don't quite feel it does justice to the rest of the chapter, but I can't think of anything better. Reader input would be much appreciated.

  


**Digimon: Perspectives  
Book One: Prologue**

**Chapter 5: Nightmares**

There I stood near a newly bio-emerged Sagittarimon. Standing motionless in the dark shadows of the narrow alleyway, the bulky centaur Digimon took in its surroundings. The flame design on its gauntlets, armor, bow, and jagged horn stood out against the darkness; the rest of its black body blended into the shadows. I hid behind a dumpster as I eyed my prey; the dumpster's rancid smell masked my scent from the Sagittarimon's detection.

I savored this moment in anticipation of victory. Ever since I set foot in the human world, I knew my destiny had changed. When I loaded the data of my first victim, I felt that this was what I had been dreaming of, a chance to become stronger. Since then, many days passed, and I had already amassed many victories. Every hour of every day, I felt stronger. With each triumph, the power within me grew. Yet, with this power grew hunger for more. I endeavored longer and harder to defeat more opponents. I sought out opponents whose data could satisfy my endless hunger. And, as I loaded my foe's data and reaped the results of my labors, I felt pure ecstasy.

Val, my tamer, often visited, but rarely did we leave the hiding place that she had confined me to. For some strange reason, she was opposed to my quest. To realize my dream meant I had to take things into my own hands, even if it meant disobeying my tamer. I made sure to always be present when she visited as to not betray my secret desires. When she did visit, all she did was babel on about whatever crap humans cared about. Scienmon often talked with me too, for Val would frequently bring Andrew. But, Scienmon was no different from Val; his mind had apparently been corrupted by human pacifism. It was shameful for a Digimon to act and think as he did. Still, some ideas in his nonsense caught my interest, if but for a short moment. Of course, as none of his drivel related to my dream of becoming the strongest Digimon ever, it was all irrelevant.

Being a psychic Digimon, Scienmon could undoubtedly read my disobedience to my tamer, but he never let Andrew or Val know. All he told me was, "it is up to you to decide your fate; there is nothing I can do but point you in the right direction." I respected him for not informing Val, for she would certainly tighten her already confining grip upon me.

Although Scienmon repeatedly told me to "think things over and reconsider your opposition to your tamer," I didn't heed his advice. What was there to think of? A Digimon's life, her honor, her power -- her essence and soul itself -- all derive from one source: victory. Those who scorn battle are those who are too weak to kill.

Soon, however, my luck seemed to change for the better. Val began to allow me to battle, albeit with her supervision. She spoke to me of protecting her world from some evil that Scienmon had learned about. I really could care less about whatever evil I was fighting against; for all I cared, we could be fighting against something good. I only cared about the fact that this evil was allowing me to battle.

Despite the increase in battles with Val, I still felt the need to sneak out in order to satisfy my unending cravings.

Tonight was one such time. 

My eyes focused on the Sagittarimon, picking out the best place to strike. My paws gripped the ground and my body coiled like a spring as I readied to pounce upon my unsuspecting prey.

"Nekomon!" cried out an all-too-familiar voice. "Where are you?!"

_Damn her!_ screamed my mind. _She's going to mess everything up!_

The Sagittarimon swiftly turned his head as Val wandered into the alley. He grunted as he leered dangerously at her.

Val looked up from her D-Power and froze at the imposing sight of the Sagittarimon.

"Meteor gallop!" roared the Sagittarimon. He charged forward at Val, who dumbly stood in the Sagittarimon's path.

Without thinking, I flung myself at Val, knocking her aside. Unfortunately, instead of trampling Val, the Sagittarimon trampled me.

"Nekomon!" Val cried out.

I grunted as the crushing force of Sagittarimon's powerful hooves slammed into my body, each blow impacting with a sickening crunch.

Gathering my strength, I managed to crawl away from Sagittarimon's thundering stomps. With painful effort, I managed to stand.

"Leaf blade!" I shouted, launching my sharp, green projectiles at him. They merely bounced off of his armor plating.

"Judgement arrow!" he shouted, raising his bow and notching his arrow. Too weak to move, much less evade the shot, I could only brace myself.

"Digimodify!" shouted Val. "Hyper-speed activate!"

A new hope surged through my body as I felt strength return to my battered body. I quickly dove out of the way of the arrow.

"Digimodify! Energy activate!"

I felt more strength returning to me. "Spear of light!" Now armed, I charged the Sagittarimon with renewed strength.

I thrust out my spear, but he blocked with his gauntlet. Dexterously, I maneuvered my blade around his guard and managed to cut his face.

The Sagittarimon roared in pain and this encouraged me to attack harder and fiercer. Aiming for Sagittarimon's head, I swung around my spear again. He ducked, so I continued my spin then thrust out with the butt-end of the spear, jamming it into a gap between his chest armor plates. The Sagittarimon grunted then fiercely lashed out at the spear, knocking it out of my hands and dissipating its energy. I leapt into the air, lashing out in a roundhouse kick with my feet, and landing a hard blow against the side of Sagittarimon's head.

As I landed, Sagittarimon's hand shot out, catching hold of my tail. He brutally yanked it with enough force to take me off my feet. For those Digimon with tails, you can imagine how painful this was; for those Digimon lucky enough not to have tails, it is a feeling you should be glad to never experience.

Sprawled on the ground, I felt a hard hoof crack against my skull. Then, Sagittarimon's thick, gruff fingers closed around my neck and pulled me violently off of the ground, sending me sailing through the air. Slamming painfully into a solid, brick wall, I flopped onto the hard ground.

I heard the clomping of Sagittarimon's hooves as he came near. I struggled to get to my feet as he approached using the wall behind me to support me.

"Judgement arrow!"

I cried in pain as the arrow sliced through my shoulder. Sagittarimon galloped toward me and lowered his head, revealing the sharp pointy spike jutting from his forehead. The spike pierced through my skin of my abdomen and ripped through the underlying flesh. I was sandwiched between the Sagittarimon's head and the wall as he pushed harder.

I moaned as the blade slid further into my body. Tears came to my eyes as I felt the blade tearing into my innards.

He gave a satisfied laugh as he abruptly pulled his spike out of me. The Sagittarimon seemed to take pleasure in dispatching me. I couldn't blame him though; victory is the ultimate euphoria of a warrior.

Clutching my wound, I collapsed to the ground. I couldn't get up. Lifting my head, I saw the Sagittarimon lower his bow and level it with my head. He notched an arrow and pulled it back.

"Nekomon!" screamed Val. "Digimodify! Strength activate!"

A small amount of strength returned to my muscles, but it was too little too late. So, this was the end -- the end of my life, the end of my quest, the end of my dreams. I had failed. I wasn't strong; I was weak. I was not a winner, but a loser. I was not the killer; therefore, I must be the victim. I wasn't fond of the thought of dying in battle, but at least it is an honorable death. 

"Judgement . . . "

I somewhat dreaded death, but in the back of my mind I knew it was inevitable; a warrior's destiny is to grow stronger and to finally be bested in battle. It was a fantasy to think that one could ever become strong enough to conquer death. Becoming stronger and winning more battles only serves to delay the inevitable. But, that was okay with me: such is the way of a warrior.

"...Arrow!"

A loud bang interrupted Sagittarimon's attack. The arrow whizzed by my head, barely missing. The Sagittarimon roared in pain. I looked up to see him turn and face the new opponent: a large, adult human male. The human wore a black combat jumpsuit of some sort and held out a pistol aimed at Sagittarimon's head.

The man looked over at Val. "Stay away, little girl!" he shouted in a rough, commanding voice. "These monsters are dangerous."

The Sagittarimon bellowed and charged at the man. Staring unwaveringly at the Sagittarimon, the man fired twice. His shots hit the Sagittarimon's legs, sending the centaur tumbling to the ground. He fired once more, this time the bullet pierced through the Sagittarimon's chest plate. The Sagittarimon flopped onto the ground.

Now the human turned to me and aimed his weapon at me. His piercing azure eyes locked onto mine. Summoning the strength I had left, I leapt to my feet, nimbly dodging the bullet. I would not be brought down by one of these pathetic humans.

He fired again, this time with more accuracy. The bullet grazed my arm. I sprinted toward him to attack before he could fire another shot.

_Bang!_

I fell to the ground with a bullet in my right leg, sliding to within one meter of the human. I was so close!

I looked up to find myself staring up at the blurred sight of the man's piercing blue eyes and the dark barrel of the gun. All I could do was look defiantly into the dark void of death.

"No!" I saw Val leap at the man and slam her body against my assailant's arm, knocking his aim off. The shot bounced harmlessly off of the ground beside me.

"Out of my way, kid!" he yelled, pushing Val away. She hit the ground hard. Again, he leveled the gun at my head. This was my chance.

I swung my legs around tripping the human. He fell down to the ground, cursing loudly.

I took the opportunity to escape. As quickly as my injuries would allow, I scooped up Val and limped away. But, I wasn't fast enough; the man had gotten back onto his feet. His arm snapped out, training the pistol on me. 

_Click!_

"Damn!" shouted the man. His gun was empty. I saw an empty clip drop out of the bottom of the gun. The man reached for another ammo clip in his jumpsuit.

I ran as fast as I could, each step amplifying the growing pain from the throbbing gunshot wound in my leg.

I heard the man's pounding footsteps as he ran after us. As I turned the corner, I heard an angry roar come from the alley.

"Judgement arrow!"

Then I heard a gunshot followed by a pain-filled yell from the Sagittarimon. His yell was silenced by seven more successive gunshots. Silence filled the air afterward.

By the time the man had finished with Sagittarimon, I had limped off a safe distance and was following Val's directions to safely take us to her home.

*~*~*

"No!" shouted Val. "There's no way you could even think about fighting tonight!"

"And why not?" I asked in an annoyed tone. I was sick and tired of her pacifistic tirades. I needed to fight _because_ of my failure last night. Even though I felt sore all over and the wounds inflicted by Sagittarimon and the human still stung sharply, I wouldn't let pain--no matter how sharp or intense--stop me. Injury from battle was no stranger to me; only this time, I had to face it without the consolation of victory. I had no data to absorb: no strength imbuing elixir to regenerate my body and soul. The insufferable pain from my injuries only whetted my appetite for battle.

Yet, worse than the physical pain was the fact that I lost. I was a weakling, a failure. I was bested in combat by an opponent; by the laws of the universe, I should have been dead. I didn't beat death through strength and power but instead cheated it. No, I didn't cheat it; fate did. It was pure luck the human came and shot the Sagittarimon before he could finish me off. Even now fate was toying with me: keeping me alive to suffer in the broken shards of my dream.

No! I cannot accept that I am weak. I cannot accept any other destiny than to be the most powerful warrior. I must prove to myself that I am not weak. To fight is my life; to grow strong is my dream; to win is my destiny. I must battle for battle is what I am. I must prove to myself that I am not weak in order to validate my existence.

"You're in no condition to battle!" exclaimed Val. "You'll get yourself killed!"

"I can do as I please."

"What?! Do you want to die?!"

"It's a risk I'm willing to take," I replied. If I died, my death would only mean that I was not worth enough to live.

"Are you insane? Have you lost your mind?"

"There is nothing irrational about my actions," I replied. This is what any warrior would do. To relinquish my dream would be to destroy everything I stood for.

"Well, I won't let you battle."

"And how are you going to stop me?" I asked, challenging her.

"Um, er . . . " Val stared straight into my eyes. "Just listen to me this one time, please!" she pleaded passionately. "I'm just trying to be a good tamer and to protect you. I mean, I'm responsible for you and whatever happens to you is my fault. I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

"I can take care of myself," I replied, shoving her away.

"My parent caught me sneaking back in last night!" blurted out Val.

"Like I care."

"Listen! And, now, because of that I'm grounded. Do you know when the last time my parents grounded me was? Please, Nekomon, don't go. If my parents catch me sneaking out again, they'll never trust me ever again."

"So?" Why would she be so upset about losing someone's trust? Trust has no meaning, no value at all.

"Do you even know what my parents' trust means to me? Do you even care about what happens to me? You don't even care enough about yourself to know that you're putting yourself in danger by doing this!"

"You don't have to come with me," I commented. In fact, I would prefer that she didn't come. If she hadn't interfered last night, I could have defeated the Sagittarimon and walked away without single scratch. It was all her fault I lost. Why did I bother saving her from the Sagittarimon? It was a stupid thing to do.

"But, I have to come with you to make sure you're okay. I need to come so I can digimodify . . . no wait, I can't even do that now. My parents took away my cards as a punishment. So, if you do get into trouble, I won't be able to help you. You'll be helpless and there will be nothing I can do . . . "

"Good," I replied brusquely. "I don't need your help anyway."

"Well then go!" she shouted angrily. "Go off and get yourself killed! See if I care! I wish I never slashed that dumb blue card in the first place!"

Without another word, I stepped out of the window to Val's room and climbed down to the street.

As I walked away, I heard Val call out, "Wait up, Nekomon!" I didn't turn around. Why did that annoying human always need to tag along?

My senses focused in on a nearby Digimon as I heard Val running toward me from behind.

"Nekomon," said Val. "You're right."

I didn't reply, I closed my eyes and focused on the upcoming battle.

"It's like what Silphymon told Yolie in zero two," said Val. "There are some battles you need to fight, even if you don't want to fight them. We've got to protect our world from the Sovereign and we can't back away from it. Right?"

I nodded absentmindedly. In reality, I had no idea what she was talking about nor did I care. I couldn't care less about protecting this world from the Sovereign, but I didn't want to bother arguing with her. At least now she would stop complaining.

I led her into the park, and we approached my prey. The large, bulkily armored Digimon stood in the middle of a large area paved with asphalt.

"Bullmon," Val whispered, reading off of her D-Power. "Attack is matador dash. He ferociously charges his enemy inflicting massive damage." She looked up at me. "He looks powerful. Promise me you won't get hurt."

"Sure," I said. "Now, stay here." I silently crept around to get closer to my prey. Unfortunately this one was not as unaware as the others; it seemed to sense my approach and it turned as I prepared to strike. I ran out onto the asphalt and readied to battle.

"Get him, Nekomon!" shouted Val.

"Leaf blade!" I shouted, leaping into the air. I hurled a rain of sharp, green projectiles down onto my opponent. As I came down, landing on my injured leg caused a wave of pain to shoot through my nerves.

"Matador dash!" the Bullmon roared in an enraged voice. To my consternation, the heavily armored Digimon plowed though the leaf blades and slammed into me, sending me impacting forcefully into the hard, rough ground.

"Tail whip!" Bullmon shouted, turning and lashing its tail out at me.

I quickly rolled out of the way of Bullmon's flailing tail. My hand shot out and grasped his tail. Savoring the thought of doing what Sagittarimon did to me, I hurled the Digimon into a nearby tree.

More quickly than I expected, the ferocious Bullmon recovered and charged back toward me. I dodged aside nearly avoiding a trampling. Unfortunately, he lashed out with its tail once again. His tail wrapped around my leg and instantly pulled me off of my feet.

My back slammed down against the hard, solid asphalt, and the Bullmon ran forward, dragging me across the rough ground. I could feel the rugged surface tearing at the skin on my back. The Bullmon abruptly turned sharply and skidded to halt, sending me flying into a chain-link fence.

"Matador dash!" 

Only managing to get to my feet before he impacted with me, I took the full brunt of his attack and flew back into the fence. Our combined weight toppled the fence, and I struggled to get the savage Bullmon off of me while at the same time trying to untangle myself from the metal wires. The Bullmon continued to viciously attack me, slamming his hooves into me and snapping at me with his muzzle.

I gathered all of my strength and rippled through the fence. I climbed out and brought up my right hand.

"Spear of light!"

I hurled the spear down at the Bullmon. The energy pike broke through the Bullmon's tough armor. He squealed in pain as the attack reduced him to data. 

I stood shaking from the adrenaline of the battle as my opponent's data rushed into me. Yet, immediately afterward, the combination off my fatigue from this battle and my previous injuries brought me down to the ground.

I turned and lay facing upward, my chest heaved up and down, gasping for air. Spasms of pain from every part of my body washed over me. But, in my mind, I didn't care. Like a narcotic, victory allowed me to ignore the intense physical sensations that gripped my body. All I could think about was more fighting, more battles, more data -- _more!_

"Nekomon," said Val as she came toward me. "You're hurt . . . "

"More . . . opponents . . . " I said. I could sense two more Digimon nearby. A strong desire to destroy them all and load their data took hold of my mind.

"Don't worry," said Val. "I'm sure someone else will take care of them."

She still didn't understand did she? She still thought I cared about saving her world. I had no concern whatsoever about _her_ cause. In fact, I didn't mind if the Sovereign's Digimon wreaked havoc upon this world so long as I was the one to destroy them and absorb their data.

I attempted to get up, but I couldn't find the strength to even stand.

"That's okay, Nekomon, you can just lay there until you feel better," said Val in a soft voice, stroking my fur. Her words, her actions, and her presence gave me a strange, unfamiliar, comforting feeling that I had never felt before. I couldn't quite describe what it felt like. It was pleasing, but not as satisfying as loading an opponent's data.

"Val!" called out a male voice. "What's wrong? Is Nekomon hurt?"

"Andrew!" replied Val. "She just got finished battling one of the Sovereign's Digimon. It was a very tough battle."

"Is she going to be okay?" Andrew asked. "Looks like she's pretty badly hurt."

"I think she'll be okay."

"Well take this anyway. It's a rejuvenation card. It'll help heal her."

"Are you sure you and Scienmon won't need it? Nekomon said she sensed more Digimon nearby."

"I think Nekomon needs it more than Scienmon will."

"Okay then," said Val. "Digimodify! Rejuvenation, activate!"

I felt energy returning to me, strength returning to my sore muscles, and the pain dull from my injuries. I still felt pretty weak so I thought it best to just lay and listen to their conversation.

"There have been a lot of bio-emergences lately," commented Andrew. "Do you think the Sovereign is up to something?"

"Maybe," Val replied. "Hopefully, we can stop whatever they're planning."

"Yes, but we're only two tamers against a whole army of Digimon. Do you think other kids around here might be tamers?"

"I haven't thought of it. Dealing with Nekomon has been too much as it is."

"Yeah, having a Digimon is a much greater responsibility than I thought it would be."

"You're telling me, at least you always got along with Scienmon." Val let out a sigh and looked at me. "But, I think we're finally getting to understand each other."

A beeping sound came from Andrew's D-Power. He looked into it.

"Another bio-emergence!" he exclaimed. "What could be causing so many Digimon to come to this world?"

"I wouldn't mind if they were all like Nekomon or Scienmon," replied Val.

"Yes, but unfortunately, they're all part of the Sovereign's army. I'd better go find Scienmon. With all these wild Digimon around I don't think he'll be safe. You'd better be on the look out, too."

"Just don't get into too much trouble," Val joked.

"Yeah, like I'm the one who always gets into trouble," replied Andrew as he walked away.

Val and I rested wordlessly on the pavement for a while. After about a minute, Val decided to break the silence:

"You know," began Val, "at first I thought having a Digimon would be an adventure, like in the TV show. I imagined being just like Sora, Kari, or Yolie journeying around the Digital World, exploring new places, meeting new Digimon, making new friends, and maybe even saving the world. But now that my fantasy has become a reality, I realize that it's nothing like I imagined at all. It's not like I'm disappointed, or anything, it's just different from what I expected. You know what I mean?"

Yes, the human world was much more different from I expected it to be. I always thought of it as a place where Digimon could attain ultimate power. Humans were, after all, our creators. Who would have though that such weak, insignificant creatures could create us?

"I always thought of Digimon as they were in the TV show. Partners . . . friends . . . The Digidestined rarely had any problems with their Digimon. It was almost as if they were meant for each other, destined to be together." She looked down at me and her innocent blue eyes looked into mine. "I guess its not as easy as they make it seem." She let out a sigh, and stared off into the distance. "It's not that I don't feel we're not supposed to be together, Nekomon, it's just that I don't feel like we're destined to be together either. All the Digidestined had something in common with their Digimon: Izzy and Tentomon were both really smart, Matt and Gabumon were both lone-wolf type people, and Davis and Veemon were both jerks. Sometimes I get the feeling that we're completely different. Like we're not meant to be . . . But now . . . now I finally feel like I'm beginning to understand you. We need to stop the Sovereign's Digimon no matter what. The fate of the Real World depends on it. Maybe that's what we share in common: a sense of duty to protect our friends."

I grew tired of her mindless babble. Why does she talk so much about friendship and partners? They mean nothing to me. She thought she understood me, but she was sorely mistaken.

"Ha!" I replied. "Friendship . . . partners . . . the fate of _your_ world . . . they mean nothing to me."

"Nothing? What do you mean?"

"Power is all that matters," I replied. "I fight to load data and become stronger I don't give a damn about protecting you, your people, or your world."

"But . . . but what about friendship? Isn't that important? More important that your stupid quest for power?"

_Quest for power?_ It was more than just that. This wasn't some pointless quest; this was my life. As I growled in anger at her, memories . . . memories flooded into my mind, reminding me of why power was the most important quality in the world:

I was only a small, baby-level Digimon, but I remember every bloody detail clearly. Back then, my tribe was not much of a warrior tribe. Our elders taught us that violence was the root of all evil in the Digital World. When the dark times descended upon the world, our leaders decided to travel eastward toward the safety of Gaiamon's forest. Some help that was. One night, a ferocious pack of Feralmon descended upon my tribe. We tried to defend ourselves, but even our strongest champion-level Conquistamon didn't stand a chance against the powerful, mega-level Feralmon. All I could do was hop off and hide as the Feralmon easily tore through our inept warriors and devoured everyone's data. I felt so helpless. If only our tribe was stronger and focused more on battle, then maybe we would have had mega-level warriors to defend ourselves. That night I learned the most important lesson of my life: only the strong survive.

Afterward, I could only cry and feel helpless, cowering in fear until another tribe of Nekomon -- warrior Nekomon -- discovered me. Perhaps this was fate's way of giving me a second chance. For, they adopted me as one of their own and taught me their warrior ways. Never again would I feel weak and powerless.

"Can friends protect you from being killed?!" I shouted in reply to Val's ignorance. The memory of that night made my blood boil with anger. "What use do friends have in the heat of a fierce battle? Only strength can guarantee your survival. Maybe to you battle, fighting, and strength don't mean anything; well, you can't even begin to understand what my life is like. Maybe you have the 'pleasure' of being able to think of partners and friends. Well, then you're just a fool! Strength is the only thing that is important because it is the only thing that can keep you alive!" 

"Nekomon, please!" choked Val. I realized that as I spoke and remembered that haunting night, I had gotten up, grabbed Val by the collar, and was now holding her up in the air in front of my face, shouting at her.

I threw her down in disgust and turned away from her.

"So, is that all you care about? Battle and killing?"

"What does it matter to you?"

Val began to answer but the sound of sirens interrupted her and drowned out her voice. We both turned and watched as two white vans zoomed by and stopped in front of an alley across the street from the park.

Suddenly, Val's expression changed and she seemed to forget about our argument. Her focus had shifted elsewhere.

"Andrew . . . " she muttered.

Val ran off toward the alley. She sprinted headlong across the park toward the alley. I sensed two Digimon in the direction she was headed, so I decided to follow.

The two white vans were parked to the right of the alley's entrance and to the left was a black van. A woman leaned against the van and spoke on a cell phone. In front of the alley's entrance were two men armed with guns. I decided to observe from behind some bushes across the street from the alley. The guards' black jumpsuits bore the same insignia as the one worn by the human I fought against yesterday. Though I was considering exacting my revenge on these humans, I thought better of it. I had enough trouble escaping from that one; to challenge two would be suicide. 

I saw Val running unnoticed across the street and hiding behind a tall blue box near the entrance of the alley. Despite being posted as guards or sentries, the armed humans didn't seem to notice Val or me. Pathetic.

I peered into the alley and saw Andrew laying face up and motionless as two men in white uniforms pulled a white sheet over him. One of them made his way over to the black van and handed a paper to the woman. The woman gave a slight nod as an acknowledgment and continued speaking on the phone. From this distance, even with my sharp hearing, I could barely make out what she was saying:

"The medics say it looks like a knife wound to the heart . . . Dammit, this kid couldn't be more than fourteen . . . We can't just let these Digimon run around endangering any more lives! Two deaths are enough! ... All right, all right, I'll calm down. It's just . . . Dammit, Kiyoshi, doesn't it even bother you the slightest that this boy is _dead_!? ... I mean you talk as if your recording the results of some damn computer simulation... Yeah... yeah... No, there aren't any clues as to the identity of the Digimon. All that I know is the logs show a breech in the network around this area from about thirty minutes ago... How should I know what to tell the papers? ... Disguise it as a gang murder, I guess . . . You think this has anything to do with the Digimon Captain Kane saw yesterday? ... Yeah... Possibly... I'm just worried about the girl he saw with the Digimon, I mean she could be in serious trouble, she could be the next corpse we find... Dammit, I'm not exaggerating, this is a serous problem! ... Hold on, I've got another call." The woman hit a button on her phone. "Richter here . . . Yeah . . . Yes, sir, we'll be right over." The woman pushed a button on her phone. "Okay, Kiyoshi, Kane wants me to return to HQ. I'll help you review the logs when we get back." She then shut off the phone.

I watched as, slowly the alley emptied. First the men in white uniforms carried Andrew's body away into their vans, and then the armed humans stepped into the black van. Then the three vans left, and the alley stood completely empty.

Val slowly stumbled forward toward the spot where Andrew laid, and collapsed to her knees in sobs.

Perhaps it's just because of some weakness I haven't managed to purge, but, for the first time, I felt compassion for Val. In her, I recognized myself staring over the barren battlefield where my tribe fell to the Feralmon. For once, thought it might not be impossible for us to understand each other. Perhaps now she will realize the harsh cruelty of life. Perhaps now she can learn that strength, not friendship, is all that matters in staying alive.

I walked up to Val and laid a paw on her shoulder. I don't know why I did it, but it just felt like the right thing to do.

At my touch, Val spun around and glared at me.

"I hate you!" she yelled, her voice a mix of anger, fear, and grief. "I hate all you Digimon! You're all heartless killers and that's all you'll ever be. I can't believe I ever thought you could be anything more." Then she collapsed to the ground again, weeping uncontrollably.

I looked down at her, saddened by the fact that she had realized the truth but was still unable to accept it.


	6. Hate

Author's Note: My apologies to those of you who have been waiting for this chapter. I have been extremely busy in the past couple months, but I finally finished this chapter up. Although I will try to continue this fic, do not expect regular updates.

  


**Digimon: Perspectives  
Book One: Prologue**

  


**Chapter 6 — Hate**

  


The oppressive wind and heat made the desert a very harsh environment. The almost incessant winds of the Digital wasteland constantly pelted everything with small grains of sand while the heat sapped any living creature's energy until it could not continue on. My companion, Centarumon, wiped the sweat from his brow as he trudged through the endless sands. Unlike me, a Picaromon, Centarumon were not native to the desert. The fatigue on his face seemed to say that no Digimon in his right mind would ever want to travel through here, much less live here.

Yet, this was my home.

After living in the human world for a while, I had mixed feelings about returning. The natural beauty of the human world attracted me much more than the dreary, barren wasteland of a desert. Of course, not all was perfect in the human world. The humans themselves were the problem. They enslaved us, manipulated us, beat us, and made us fight for nothing but their own sick pleasure. I was lucky enough to have escaped the tyranny of the humans, and I had Centarumon to thank for that.

Although it meant an escape from human oppression, returning to the Digital World meant abandoning all of the other tamed ones. In running away from the humans, I ran away from my people, condemning them to be crushed under human rule. The promise I made on the day of Sabermon's death still reverberated in my mind; I still felt the need to free all Digimon from the evils of humanity.

What was I doing here? Because Centarumon insisted we returned to the Digital World, I followed. I thought he could provide some solution to this great problem. But, Centarumon had a much different view on other tamed Digimon. He hated them as much as he hated the humans. He believed their allegiance to the humans made them just as responsible for humanity's crimes and condemned them as lost causes beyond redemption. What did he care what happened to the tamed ones?

All I knew was that I cared about them. I wanted to avenge the pointless death of Sabermon. I wanted to pull good Digimon like Scienmon away from the corrupting lies of their human dictators. Unlike Centarumon, I couldn't condemn them for being forced into serving these evil humans — for being their tools. If an assassin murders your friend, you blame the assassin, not his dagger.

Even though these humans tricked our people into believing them and willingly committing criminal acts against the race of Digimon, I couldn't believe that humans, no matter how deceitful they were and no matter how much they brainwashed their slaves, could ever extinguish the Digimons' essence, that which made them Digimon. No one, in my mind, was beyond redemption; once could always grab hold of some good in a Digimon.

Why then, was I trekking through this seemingly endless desert toward some unknown place? Presumably this place would be Centarumon's home. If his home were as oppressive as my own, this journey would be for naught. Cooperation would not flourish in an environment of conflict over resources for survival. Yet, the hope still remained in my mind that we journeyed to a place where we could initiate something to save our enslaved counterparts, a place where I could rally support for a liberation movement. Two . . . four . . . eight . . . sixteen: the number of supporters would grow exponentially among a population of Digimon. The idea would go from _me_ to _them_, and together we would be united as _us._

But, what and where exactly was this place? I had no idea why I followed the Centarumon, other than the fact I had nowhere else to go. For all I knew, he could be leading me to a militant group of Digimon intent on destroying all of my treasonous kin in the human world.

"Where are we going, exactly?" I asked.

"To Gaiamon's realm, of course," was Centarumon's curt response.

"Who is Gaiamon?"

"You mean you haven't heard of the great Sovereign?" asked Centarumon in disbelief.

"No, but I've been in the human world for a while," I replied.

"Gaiamon's deeds extend well back into the past," Centarumon replied. "You must've been living in this isolated desert not to have heard of the great Gaiamon."

"Actually, I did live in this desert all of my life until I was taken into the human world." News didn't travel very fast in the desert, mainly because news required conversation for propagation. The only communication that took place in the desert was the shouting of threats and curses during struggles for the land's scarce resources.

"Well, I guess I should give you a little history lesson about the other regions of the Digital World," said Centarumon. "In the days before Gaiamon's kingdom, the Sovereign layer was full of disunity and chaos."

I had heard once that the Digital World was composed of different layers, but I hadn't payed much attention to it. After all, when every day is a struggle to survive, one doesn't have the luxury to contemplate higher existances.

"Many small tribes fought against each other for control of lands and power; the world was in a constant state of war."

So what else is new? Even from living in this isolated, uncivilized desert layer of the Digital World, I knew that.

"Then came the virus. Unlike other viruses the humans plagued us with, this one was particularly powerful and deadly. The virus, it called itself Reaper, destroyed any tribe that attempted to oppose it. Even the most powerful tribes in the sovereign layer fell to Reaper's awesome power. Finally, Yggdramon, protector of the normally neutral forest realm proposed an alliance. Alone, no tribe could stand a chance against Reaper, and Yggdramon believed the only way to defeat it was to come together. Under Yggdramon's guidance, all Digimon from all tribes united to combat this deadly threat.

"After months of bloody struggle, her plan succeeded. After a long, hard-fought war, the Digimon, for the first time, had made a huge triumph against the evil humans. We had stood up to their monster and defeated it. Not only that, but the struggle made us stronger. From that war, five ultimate-level Digimon had progressed one level farther than any Digimon had ever gone before: They reached the mega level. Those five Digimon emerged as leaders of our people after the war: Ottomon of the desert realm; Stalinmon of the city realm; Napoleomon of the forest realm; Kriegmon of the mountain realm; and, of course, Gaiamon, the mega-form of Yggdramon."

"When did all of this happen?" I asked.

"About half a generation ago, a little before I was spawned," replied Centarumon. "After the war ended, Gaiamon proposed to keep the alliance of tribes together. She wanted to form a society for everyone's mutual protection. After all, the war had decimated everyone. Many of the strong protectors of each tribe had fallen. Many feared that some of the stronger tribes would take advantage of others' weaknesses and dominate. Thus, many instantly jumped onto Gaiamon's proposal. In such a time of uncertainty, everyone readily came together under the promise of safety. Out of the ashes of war grew an even stronger Digimon race, this time not weakened by internal struggle but strongly united as a kingdom. Of the five leaders, only Ottomon rejected the plan, leaving the desert uncivilized to this day.

"Why did he not want to join?" I asked.

"The bastard didn't believe it could work," replied Centarumon. "He didn't believe that Digimon could ever put aside their differences and work peacefully together. He thought, eventually, the Kingdom would split apart over some trivial issue and civil war would ensue. With a small number of Digimon controlling such a large tribe, he feared the leaders would wield too much power and become corrupt. Well, we proved him wrong.

"Today, many different races of Digimon live and work together in peace. Ironically, the war helped to bring us together. During the fight against Reaper, Digimon began to think of themselves not as separate tribes, but as one united army. They all put aside their differences and fought as one. Even the bitterest of enemies, like the Leomon and Ogremon, found themselves fighting side-by-side. Now, they still work side-by-side. Hundreds of Digimon united together for one cause: that is what Gaiamon stands for!"

That ideal appealed greatly to me. Digimon united, working together. In my time living in the desert realm, all I had seen of Digimon Nature was violence: nomadic tribes struggling fiercely over the scarce resources necessary for survival. Everyone lived under the mantra of destroy or be destroyed. That, sadly, was the only way to survive. The idea of forming a lawful society to escape such a chaotic environment amazed me.

"We're here," the Centarumon announced, stopping in the middle of the boundless desert.

"Where?" I asked. "There's nothing here but sand and rocks."

"Just wait and see."

I looked around, and what I spotted on the horizon filled me with fear.

"A data stream!" I shouted.

A pillar of crimson light burned across the desert floor, coming straight toward us. These data streams constantly scoured the land, tearing up any life that managed to establish itself in the arid ground. Any Digimon caught up in a data stream was never seen again.

"We've got to get out of here!" I shouted.

"Just wait," commanded Centarumon, grabbing hold of me. By now, it was too late to avoid the data stream anyway. I could only close my eyes and brace myself for the inevitable. The crimson light of the data stream encircled us and . . . 

"Welcome to Gaiamon's kingdom," announced Centarumon.

"What?" I opened my eyes and was astounded by what I saw. We stood in the middle of a clearing, encircled of a large, dense forest. Off in the distance, a group of imposing mountains rose above the horizon. The cool forest mist chilled my fur, which was more acclimated to the hot, dry desert. Ahead of us, the trees became more complex. No, those weren't trees but . . . houses? At the ground level, many Digimon made their way around the bases of trees, against which some buildings, ranging from basic lean-tos to more elaborate wooden structures, stood. Up above, in the trees, walkways connected some of the tallest, widest trees in the forest. I saw Digimon of all kinds walking, even flying around in the treetops. Some even entered through doors in the widest of trees.

"I see you've never traveled by data stream before," commented Centarumon. "Come, this way." He signaled me to follow as we made our way through the "streets" of the arboreal city.

As we walked, I looked around in awe of this great civilization. Tall trees towered up into the sky, their branches upraised like giant green and brown arms reaching up into azure plains above. All along the trunks and branches of the trees stood complex wooden structures. These structures were not constructed from wood but were actually part of the trees. Small tendrils growing out from the tree's main frame twisted and wove themselves together to form the buildings and walkway of the forest. The architecture gave a very organic, natural feeling.

Yet, the architecture of this great city didn't impress me the most; its people did. Unlike the sparsely populated desert, the city teemed with life. All throughout the city, crowds of Digimon bustled about through the narrow walkways between trees and up in the walkways. The ability of all these Digimon, representing almost every imaginable race, to join together amazed me. Desert Digimon walked next to Digimon from water realms. Virus-type Digimon walked down the streets conversing with Vaccines. I even saw a young couple, a Lilymon and a Woodmon kissing under a young sapling in this sylvan grove. If only all Digimon were as peaceful as these people . . . 

"Come back here you damned thief!" roared a voice behind me. I turned to see a Gotsumon weaving through the trees carrying loaf of bread, presumably stolen from one of the street-front shops. Behind him stormed a uniformed Leomon, shouting expletives at the fleeing Gotsumon.

"Fist of the beast king!" roared the Leomon, swinging his fist forward. He launched a powerful blast of energy forward, which sent the Gotsumon sprawling onto the floor in the middle of the street. The bread slipped from his limp hand and slid forward. The Leomon strode forward and snatched the bread from off of the ground, and kicked the Gotsumon.

"Get a damn job, you dirty beggar." By now the traffic on the street had stopped as most of the Digimon stood watching the spectacle. The Leomon turned to the crowd. "Okay, okay, move along. Nothing to see here. Quit blocking traffic."

As if nothing had happened, everyone continued on their way, trudging through the streets. Of course, the Gotsumon still lay immobile in the middle of the street. Some walked around him, staring down at the thief with contempt, while others disregarded him and walked all over him. He continued being stepped on until someone had the decency to kick him over to the side of the street.

"Serves that crook right," commented Centarumon as we walked away.

As we continued on, the forest thinned and the streets grew wider. The mountains that bounded the forest began growing progressively larger with every step we took.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"I am going to the mountain region to report my findings from the human world to my superiors," Centarumon replied. "You are welcome to come. I'll introduce you and I'm sure we can find a place within our forces for one like you."

As I had nowhere else to go, I consented and followed Centarumon through the forest. I didn't particularly relish the thought of enlisting in the army, but perhaps meeting with Centarumon's superiors could give me some ideas as to how to liberate the Digimon enslaved by the humans.

A couple minutes passed when, suddenly, a strong voice rang out from the tree tops:

"Attention! Attention! General Kriegmon will be addressing the nation at the Memorial Auditorium in one hour! I repeat: General Kriegmon's speech, one hour at the Memorial Auditorium. The topic: the solution to the human problem."

"Come," said Centarumon, abruptly changing paths. Soon we joined the masses of Digimon pouring out into the streets who seemingly dropped whatever task they had at hand in order to travel to this speech.

"Who is Kriegmon?" I asked.

"Kriegmon," Centarumon began, "Is the leader of the Mountain realm and the strongest of the four Great Generals who led our people to victory over Reaper."

"I see," I replied. "What is this 'solution' that he'll talk about?"

"War," replied Centarumon succinctly. He smiled. "At least, I hope he's finally convinced the council to finally give these humans what they deserve."

At Centarumon's mention of the word, "war," I shuddered. Didn't I come here to escape the seemingly endless fights and struggles between the savages in the desert realm? War against the humans would inevitably mean killing many, if not all, of the tamed Digimon. In war, they would become the enemy, not an enslaved people to liberate. But, as I thought of alternatives, none came to my mind.

After walking for about half-an-hour, we arrived at the side of a tall, craggy mountain. The side of the mountain appeared to have a huge chunk ripped out of it. Upon closer inspection, I saw that the gash in the side of a mountain was a huge, bowl-shaped amphitheater carved straight out of the solid rock of the mountain side. The sheer size of the theater was amazing; it looked as if it could seat thousands of Digimon of all sizes. It must have taken many strong Digimon to rip through the mountain. The thought of all excruciating work needed to construct such a structure added to the impressiveness of the theater. Yet, unlike the architecture of the forest, the auditorium didn't seem at all natural; it stood out. The bowl itself looked like a huge, ugly wound in the side of the mountain.

The crowds filed into the large open-aired theater. The air buzzed with chatter in anticipation of Kriegmon's speech. Digimon gossiped and speculated about the implications of what would be said today.

"I heard the General will declare war on the humans today!"

"I doubt it. Napoleomon would never let Kriegmon make such a brash move."

"Yeah, well I heard Kriegmon has Gaiamon's support."

"If that's so then I'm moving to the desert. There's no way I'm going to die fighting against those humans."

"Well, I've 'eard dat da 'mans got another Reaper."

"Another Reaper! You can't be serious."

"If that's the case then we're all doomed."

"Don't think that way, we'll kill 'em all!"

"Yeah! Them humans are goin' down!"

A loud voice boomed throughout the theater: "All rise for the members of Gaiamon's Council: General Napoleomon of the Forrest Realm, General Stalinmon of the City Realm, and General Kriegmon of the Mountain Realm."

On stage, the Council members began to enter amid the applause of the thousands of spectators. The first was a dignified-looking Lion Digimon, who strode in with a rather regal attitude. The gold circlet on his head glinted in the bright stage lights and his long, flowing mane let off a dull tawny sheen. His navy blue uniform was decorated with various medals and a long flowing cape trailed behind him. At his side, hung a very fine looking short sword sheathed in an ornately decorated scabbard.

Behind him, an android Digimon marched in with mechanical precision and efficiency. Unlike the Digimon in front of him, this one's attire was much less embellished. Even his dull grey metallic skin was so prepared that the stage lights did not give it any luster. He wore a simple brown uniform and a black beret. Both Digimon took seats on either side of the podium at center stage.

As Napoleomon and Stalinmon took their seats, Kriegmon strode boldly onto the stage. I could instantly see why everyone was so eager to come to this speech; the fiery Digimon seemed to exude an aura of confidence around him that was just as visible as the orange glow radiating from his flames. He looked much more like a regular Digimon than his two counterparts. Unlike the ornately decorated Napoleomon and the austere military look of Stalinmon, Kriegmon's attire did not attempt to set him above the public. He took his place at the podium and signaled to the crowd to sit. Just standing there, without having even said a word, he looked like a champion of the people.

"My fellow citizens," Kriegmon began, "recent events have brought us to the final days of decision. For more than a decade, our great nation has thrived. Yet, with each new step we take, the human menace constantly looms in our minds, threatening to undo all the progress of our civilization. We all live daily with the fear that, in a swift instant of infinite terror, everything that we have worked so hard to build will be knocked back down to the ground. Yet, for ten long years, we have done nothing to ameliorate these fears.

"A decade ago we were nowhere near strong enough to oppose the humans. Over time, we have prospered; our nation has grown larger and stronger. Our once small community has digivolved into an almost worldwide nation standing for the peace and mutual defense of its people. But, the human threat has grown along side with us. We are no closer to solving this problem than we were ten years ago.

"Since the Reaper War, we've been subject to devastating attacks by the humans, each one more destructive and deadly than the last. First a deletion hits a small isolated desert community, murdering five unfortunate victims. Next, a more powerful deletion strikes an outlying suburb of the city, razing the buildings to the ground and killing a handful of innocent Digimon. Finally, the latest and most heinous deletion yet strikes the middle of an important mountain city, annihilating hundreds of innocent Digimon lives. We now stand in the Crater, all that is left of our once proud city. Many times over these humans have shown us the very worst of their terrible power. They senselessly reap death and destruction throughout the Digital World. It is clear: we are not dealing with a peaceful species.

"Despite the horrible damage inflicted by each deletion, the damage nowhere compares to that done by the Reaper Virus. But, what if the humans could send a second Reaper?" At this suggestion, the crowd let out a collective gasp of horror. Kriegmon continued: "Intelligence gathered by us leaves no doubt that the humans posses some of the most lethal weapons ever devised, including a prototype for a second Reaper Virus. These people have already used these weapons of mass destruction against our people, and they have a history of a deep hatred of all Digimon.

"The danger is clear: using these weapons of mass destruction, these terrorists could kill thousands or hundreds of thousands of innocent Digimon throughout the Digital World. With these destructive capabilities, the humans threaten the very survival of the Digital world.

"Our nation and the world did nothing to deserve or invite this threat, but we will do everything to defeat it. Instead of drifting along toward extinction, we will set a course toward digivolution. Before the day of horror can come, before it is too late to act, this danger will be removed.

"Our leadership has a duty and the authority to use force to protect our own security. As Commander-in Chief, I will do everything to protect our great nation from this threat. I hope all will join me in the defense of our nation and our people.

"When our troops set out to war, every measure will be taken to win it. We understand the costs of conflict because we have paid them in the past. War has no certainty, except the certainty of sacrifice.

"Yet, the only way to reduce the harm and duration of war is to apply the full force and might of our military, and we are prepared to do so. Our forces are already preparing for battle and mobilizing to combat the human threat. In two days time, our liberation will begin. We shall no longer live enslaved by fear of a human attack.

"It is likely the humans will remain a deadly foe until the end, and in desperation, they may use their weapons against us. But, we cannot live forever under the threat of blackmail. We must strike now while Reaper II is only an imperfect prototype, before it becomes the ultimate killing machine.

"Should Reaper II be released, the humans would be attempting to shift our attention with panic and weaken our morale with fear. But, in this they will fail. No act of theirs can alter our course or shake the resolve of this nation. We have shown that we're not a fragile people, and we will not be intimidated by killers and thugs. Such acts will only strengthen our resolve to rid ourselves of that which threatens our very survival."

"Our nation has a duty to defend our world. We must unite against humanity in order to continue the growth of our civilization, the safety of our people, and the future of our species.

"Thank you, and may Gaiamon continue to watch over us."

As Kriegmon stepped down from the podium, the crowd rose applause thundered throughout the theater. The calm had ended and the storm had begun.

  


* ~ * ~ *

  


During the two days, the whole nation seemed to wait in anxiety. As I wandered through the streets of the forest city, every conversation I overheard dealt with the prospect of war. People talked of the prospects of defeating the humans, the promise of a better tomorrow, the great losses of life that would come as a price of victory. In the large underground theaters that used to foster the growth of the nation's cultural arts, debates raged between the Digital World's greatest minds over the decision to go to war. They covered every aspect from moral to economic, from idealism to pragmatism. Even after the speakers had finished, the debates continued between the Digimon as they walked the streets, as they sat down to eat, and everywhere else. Yet the greatest debate was in the hearts and minds of every single Digimon.

At the Forrest militia's headquarters, Digimon lined up to join the army, eager to help defend their great nation. Outside of town, the militias practiced combat drills, preparing to march to war and possible death.

All around, Digimon prepared for another human attack. Some chose to flee the city for less populated areas in the unsettled regions, figuring that the humans would be more likely to attack populated zones. Others stocked up on emergency supplies and bunkered down in their newly fortified homes. Others just mulled in worry, looking at the protective measures others had taken and wondering, _are we all going to die?_ It was eerie walking through areas formerly inhabited by pacifistic tribes who collectively decided to flee. It was even more disturbing to walk through areas populated by more militant Digimon who were very vocal about their hate of the humans.

The threat of war had transformed the city. War dwelt on everyone's minds and it affected everything that everyone did. It evoked many different responses, from the patriotic to the rebellious, from the militaristic to the pacifistic.

  


* ~ * ~ *

  


"Who does that Napoleomon think he is?!" exclaimed Centarumon, taking a swig of ale. "How the hell do we _not_ have the right — the duty — to attack the humans?"

I sat in a tavern with Centarumon and some of his companions from the military. The entire tavern buzzed with talk about Napoleomon. It seems that all were not united in support of the war. The forest realm, infamous for its pacifism, had convinced Napoleomon to oppose Kriegmon's invasion.

"Yeah, those humans deserve to be taught a lesson," added the Gargomon who sat next to me. "It's about time we started doin' da killin'."

"You can't be serious," said a Lilymon sitting at a nearby table. Centarumon and his friends apparently had drunken too much and were not conscious of how loud they were talking. The Lilymon turned to face the Gargomon. "You army men are all the same. Killing them isn't going to solve anything."

"What are you, some kind of human-lover!?" shouted Centarumon. 

"I'm a pacifist. I have a respect for life, unlike the rest of you fanatics. You got a problem with that?"

"Yeah, I've got a fucking problem with that!" shouted Centarumon, jumping out of his seat. At once the tavern silenced as everyone turned to look at the confrontation taking place.

The Weregarurumon next to him, restrained Centarumon. "Calm down, we don't want to make any trouble," he said softly.

"How can you claim to respect life, when all those humans do is destroy it!" shouted Centarumon, ignoring Weregarurumon's warning.

"How do you know killing them will save any lives?" retorted Lilymon. "Sure, everyone says that, but that's what they want you to think. It's just a bunch of propaganda, a load of shit. What they don't tell you are the casualties we'd face in the war."

"Facing that suffering now would be worth ridding ourselves of the constant fear of a human attack," replied Weregarurumon, in a calm, logical voice. Centarumon had calmed down a bit, so Weregarurumon sat back down.

"That's true," began a Leomon, who decided to join into the discussion, "but we cannot consider only our own suffering. The war would cost may lives on both sides."

"Damn you humanists!" interjected the Gargomon, slamming his glass against the table. "Why should we care about the humans anyway?"

"Invading the human world would kill many _innocent _human civilians," replied Leomon, "Surely all humans don't deserve to die. If any, we must only target those directly responsible for the attacks on our people. Horrible, unnecessary losses of life are never justifiable."

"So, you're telling me to have mercy on these humans," growled Centarumon angrily, "to have mercy on the same humans who released the Reaper virus which killed nearly half of the population of our entire world. We should avoid doing collateral damage to the same people who indiscriminately delete entire cities. You're telling me to spare the lives of those who murdered my tribe in cold blood! Ha! Well I say we show these criminals no mercy because they certainly don't care if their acts are justifiable."

"Here, here," applauded Weregarurumon, as many of the others murmured in assent.

"Sure," replied the Lilymon sarcastically, "kill their innocents and delete their cities just because they did it to us. We're no better than the humans if we have to stoop down to their level."

"Yes we are," replied Weregarurumon. "For, it is justice."

"Where does justice end and revenge begin?" asked Leomon. "If we attack them and show with the same malice and ruthlessness they showed us, are they not justified in striking back by your logic? Revenge creates only an endless cycle of violence. Instead of trying to top the humans' brutality, we should try to transcend it. Revenge is such a primal, animalistic concept. As fully sentient Digital beings, we should be able to transcend our violent natures."

"And how do we do that?" retorted Gargomon. "Do we allow the humans to keep bullying us?"

"We should take the civilized course of action and come to some diplomatic solution. I can't believe that all humans are as heatless and brutal as our leaders make them out to be. I'm certain we can come to some compromise and end the conflict without causing any more grief."

"Well, dammit, the humans are heartless, brutal monsters," responded Centarumon. "Isn't that right Picaromon?"

"Yes," I replied. Memories of Ryan, Sabermon's tamer, and Nekomon's tamer flashed through my mind. "Their cruelty knows no bound. All they care about are their own powermad desires. I doubt that they would listen to us. They don't care about our well being; they think we're just toys to be manipulated as they please."

"Just because you've been to the human world doesn't make you an expert," Lilymon replied. "There's no way you could have seen enough of humanity to judge them truly."

"I agree, there must be good humans just as there are good and evil Digimon," assented Leomon. "After all, they are our creators."

"Well, if they're supposed to be divine beings, they aren't doing a good job," replied Gargomon. "The ones that showed the kindness to create us are either dead or they don't care about us anymore."

"They didn't show any kindness in creating us," I said. "They showed malice. Do you realize that they created us not as a companion to them or as fully independent beings, but as a game — a simple form of entertainment? They take pleasure in watching us fight, suffer, and die. It's sickening. We're no more than a plaything to their capricious, violent whims."

"See! Doesn't that make you hate the humans even more?!" shouted Centarumon. "I'm sure everyone here in this tavern hates the humans." Scattered shouts of approval came from around the tavern. "If you don't hate the humans, then you're not really one of us. How can you watch these humans destroy our lands, terrorize our people, and slaughter our friends without being disgusted by the humans? If you don't believe they deserve to be punished, you're a fucking dumbass! _They_ brought this upon themselves. _They_ sealed their fate when they attacked us and failed to completely destroy us!

"An' you know what? Why did we form this kingdom in the first place? To fight the humans! You cannot be a loyal citizen of this kingdom without hating the humans. To hate the humans is to love all that our nation stands for! You'd have to be some kind of heartless bastard not to direct all of your anger, all of your fury, all of your rage toward those criminals."

"Who are you callin' a heartless bastard?!" retorted the Lilymon.

"Shut up, wench!" roared Centarumon, smacking Lilymon across the face with his fist. Lilymon tumbled down onto the floor and Centarumon rose to stand over her. "I'm sick and tired of all of you people who say that the humans don't deserve to be punished. Well, dammit, you didn't see the deletion of the Mountain Commerce City. You didn't see the buildings and the people all disappear in one instant of pure senseless destruction. I swear to Gaiamon: I will kill every last human, and if anyone tries to stop me, I'll rip your fucking head off!"

"You cannot let your rage control your actions," said Leomon. "Your actions are . . . "

"You're either with us or with the humans!" interrupted Centarumon. "There is no middle ground."

"I cannot accept war as a solution."

Centarumon let out a ferocious roar, and he leapt at Leomon, tacking him on the floor and smashing a table and a couple of chairs on the way down. Lilymon picked herself off of the floor and joined the fray, smashing a bottle of ale across Centarumon's head. Gargomon proceeded to clobber her with his gun and back up his friend. The crowd, for the most part, cheered Centarumon and Gargomon on, and many joined in the brawl.

"Kill the human-lovers!"

"We don't want your kind around here!"

The scene was chaotic. The most brash and reckless were the first to join into the brawl and many pressured others to join in. Soon the attack on the two humanists became somewhat of a ritual.

The whole fight was madness. The Lilymon and the Leomon were merely unwarranted targets of everyone's rage against the humans. Witnessing these Digmons' brutality, it began to strike me that violence might not be the best course of action against the humans.

I looked down at the blood, beaten, defenseless bodies of Lilymon and Leomon. Even though I didn't share their merciful views of the humans, I couldn't help but feel some sympathy for them. They were defending what they believed in just as much as we were. We hated them merely over a difference in opinion. Its not as if they hurt or killed anyone thinking that war was wrong. Someone had to stop this.

"Stop!" I shouted. "We should be fighting the humans, not each other."

A nearby Digimon shoved me. "Are you tryin' to protect these human-lovers?"

"Hey, he's the one that's been in the human world."

"He must be one of _them_!"

_Shit,_ I thought, backing away from them.

"Come here you little human-lover and we'll show you a thing or two."

"No!" I shouted. "I'm not against the war. I think the humans need to be stopped."

"Stopped? Is that all? What about killed, tortured, punished?" He spat on the ground. "Those humans don't deserve to live and neither do you if you disagree with me."

"But, I do agree," I replied, my voice trembling. As I said that, I remembered killing Scienmon's tamer. I remembered seeing his body crumpled down on the ground in a pool of blood. Despite all the hatred I felt for the humans and no matter how much they deserved it, killing that kid didn't seem right at all.

But, then I thought more about it. By killing him, how many lives did I save? If he did not die, how many more Digimon would he force Scienmon to kill? Despite all the unconscious protests from my mind, it was logically a good decision to kill him.

I forced back that part of me reluctant to kill. I silenced the voices of sympathy for the humans and their tamed Digimon. I buried all feelings of protest and it all became clear. They were right. Too many lives had been lost to the humans. Now was not the time to falter. The hatred, the slavery, and the destruction could no longer afford to continue. The humans must be destroyed at any cost.

They shoved me toward the chaotic mass of Digimon in the center of the tavern. The crowd swirled around two limp bodies like an angry hurricane. I stared coldly down at the mutilated bodies of the Leomon and Lilymon. Silencing the voices of protest screaming in my mind, I summoned an electric dagger. The electricity cracked and sparked, seeming to almost resist the slow raising of my hand. And, like a horrible bolt of divine retribution, the dagger came down, stabbing into the Lilymon's heart. Her body shook violently as the electricity surged through her body, then she lay deathly still.

For once, killing did not seem wrong. It felt strangely right to murder, once I had silenced that which had kept me from being a monster, a true Digital Monster.

END BOOK ONE


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